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Preposition after adjective

secret: for, from, about, with, or in?

Secret commonly appears with about and from. Other prepositions are possible in specific sentence structures.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with secret?

Use secret about for hidden information and secret from for someone who does not know something. Secret with and secret in are uncommon after the adjective. Secret for usually expresses purpose rather than a fixed combination.

They were secret about their plans.
She kept the news secret from her parents.
The code is secret to everyone outside the team.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
secret about + topic

Talking about hidden information

Use about to introduce the subject being hidden.

He was secret about his finances.
They remained secret about the location.
2
secret from + person

Hiding something from someone

Use from to name the person who does not know the information.

The decision was kept secret from the public.
She hid the surprise and stayed secret from her brother.
3
secret to + group

Known only to certain people

To can describe who has access to the information.

The process is secret to senior staff only.
4
secret for + purpose

Expressing intended use

For may appear when describing purpose, not as a fixed adjective-preposition pattern.

The room is secret for security reasons.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
secret about
They are secret about their wedding plans.
not openly discussing a topic
secret from
The report was secret from investors.
hidden from someone
secret with
She is secret with her passwords.
nonstandard or unnatural in modern English; secretive with is preferred
secret in
He is secret in meetings.
not idiomatic for hidden information; use secretive in limited contexts instead

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using with instead of about

Use secret about for hidden topics.

✕ He is secret with his private life. ✓ He is secretive about his private life.

Using in after secret

Secret in is usually not idiomatic after the adjective.

✕ They were secret in the plan. ✓ They were secret about the plan.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She was very secret ___ the negotiations.
2. The details were kept secret ___ customers.
3. Choose the most natural sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

Can secret be followed by from?

Yes. Secret from means hidden from someone.

What is the difference between secret and secretive?

Secret usually describes information, while secretive describes a person's behaviour.

Is secret with correct English?

It is uncommon and usually sounds unnatural. Secretive with is more idiomatic.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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