Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

open secret

noun

/ˈoʊ.pən ˈsiː.krɪt/

Definition

A widely known fact that is not supposed to be made public.

Examples

The fact that the company was going to be sold was an open secret among its employees.
Her open secret about her love for the theater was a topic of conversation at lunch.
Even though he never talked about it, his struggle with depression was an open secret in the community.

Meaning

An open secret is a piece of information that, while not officially acknowledged, is known by a large number of people. It often refers to information that is intentionally kept under wraps despite being common knowledge.