confidential

adjective

ˌkän-fə-ˈden(t)-shəl How to pronounce confidential (audio)
Definition of confidentialnext
as in private
not known or meant to be known by the general populace someone leaked confidential government information to the press

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confidential Kimberly Sullivan did not appear at the hearing on Tuesday in Waterbury Superior Court where confidential records from DCF, Waterbury Public Schools and an unnamed treatment facility were turned over to the court after being subpoenaed by the state. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026 She was arrested for selling and transporting marijuana in 1993, and agreed to act as a confidential informant for Arizona law enforcement. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 In addition, Wrigley View Rooftop argues the Cubs have violated the terms of a confidentiality order issued by Coleman, who set parameters for the two sides to discuss which materials ought to be designated as confidential and sealed. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Individual companies receive confidential scorecards, while the public report combines their results. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confidential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confidential
  1. private
  2. secret
  3. classified
  4. personal
  5. undisclosed
  6. esoteric
  7. intimate
Adjective
  • In August, Spencer Spirit agreed to buy Hot Topic, BoxLunch and Her Universe from Sycamore Partners, which took Hot Topic private in 2013 for about $600 million.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The board will also calculate the amount of wealth subject to the tax using publicly available stock information and private assessments of personal property, such as artwork and jewelry.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of private
Adjective
  • Lisa meets her Other Mother and Other Father after wandering through a secret tunnel.
    — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI’s agents coordinated their behavior in ingenious ways, including writing secret messages in a file system so that even when one AI colony was erased, a future colony could pick up the hack where the previous one left off.
    — Noah Giansiracusa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of secret
Adjective
  • The memo stresses that troops are forbidden from using both classified and unclassified but nonpublic information to make trades on platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The new Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea series follows brilliant ocean scientist Lee Crane (Ridley), who is pulled into a classified government program after a catastrophic Arctic expedition claims the life of her twin sister.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of classified
Adjective
  • By tonight, conversation picks up again in a more personal way.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Thoughtful details like a yoga mat, a fresh jar of bath salts, and a book left in the bathroom make the stay feel more personal than most.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of personal
Adjective
  • American technology giant Qualcomm announced plans this week to execute a new round of global layoffs, though exact figures remain undisclosed.
    — , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Flyers forward Tyson Foerster returned to the lineup after a one-game absence because of an undisclosed injury.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of undisclosed
Adjective
  • Solid-state physics in its early days was just an esoteric exercise to satisfy curiosity.
    — Mattanjah de Vries, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Christie’s confidence that the canvas will hit its mark is based on a far more esoteric criterion, as Max Carter, the house’s global chair of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art, told Artnet News.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • Reservations for the intimate South End space are available online.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Designed by Peter Niemitz Design with an architectural assist from Spina O’Rourke + Partners, the restaurant has a more intimate dining room with banquette seating, a sushi bar and a cocktail bar.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimate

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confident
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Cite this Entry

“Confidential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confidential. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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