se ‧ cre ‧ cy /ˈsiːkrəsi/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ secrecy , ↑ secret , ↑ secretiveness ; adverb : ↑ secretly , ↑ secretively ; adjective : ↑ secret , ↑ secretive ; verb : ↑ secrete ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: secretie 'secrecy' (15-16 centuries) , from secre 'secret' (14-16 centuries) , from Old French secré , from Latin secretus ; ⇨ ↑ secret 1 ]
1 . the process of keeping something secret, or when something is kept a secret ⇨ secret :
I must stress the need for absolute secrecy about the project.
His work was shrouded in secrecy.
the veil of secrecy that covered the talks
2 . swear somebody to secrecy to make someone promise not to repeat what you have told them