state secret
A 'state secret' involves sensitive information guarded by a government to protect national security and interests.
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Definition
C1Government Affairs
(formal, technical)Confidential information held by a government that is crucial to national security and restricted from public access.
Example
- The details of the covert operation were classified as a state secret.
- Revealing a state secret can have severe legal consequences.
B2Everyday Conversation
(informal, humorous)Personal information someone wants to keep private, even if not important.
Example
- She treats her age like a state secret.
- His recipe for chili is a closely guarded state secret.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "state secret":
top secretopen secretabsolute statein a statebound statein state