confidential

== English == === Etymology === From Latin cōnfīdentia + English -al. Possibly a calque of French confidentiel. First attested in 1641. === Pronunciation === enPR: kŏn′fĭ-dĕn′shəl (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌkɒn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/, /ˌkɒn.fɪˈden.ʃəl/ (General American) IPA(key): (without the cot–caught merger) /ˌkɔn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/, (cot–caught merger) /ˌkɑn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/ (Canada) IPA(key): (standard) /ˌkɒn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/, (dialectal) /ˌkɑn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/ (Australian) IPA(key): /ˌkɔn.fɪˈden.ʃəl/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˌkɒn.fəˈden.ʃəl/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˌkɔn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/, /ˌkɔn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃʌl/ Rhymes: -ɛnʃəl Hyphenation: con‧fi‧den‧tial === Adjective === confidential (comparative more confidential, superlative most confidential) Kept, or meant to be kept, secret within a certain circle of persons; not intended to be known publicly. Synonyms: private, classified, off the record, privileged, secret, (obsolete) dern Antonyms: public, on the record (dated) Inclined to share confidences; (of things) making people inclined to share confidences; involving the sharing of confidences. Sitting in front of the fire, they became quite confidential, and began to gossip. (dated) Having someone's confidence or trust; having a position requiring trust; worthy of being trusted with confidences. a confidential agent a confidential servant a confidential whisper ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === “confidential”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. “confidential, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.