Definition

Relating to information that is meant to be kept secret or private, often because revealing it could cause harm or breach trust.

Example

The lawyer assured her that all discussions would remain confidential.

Conversation

I heard you got a confidential project at work.

Yeah, it's exciting but also a bit stressful.

I can imagine! It must be tough to keep things confidential with so many people around.

Definitely! But I trust my team to handle the information well.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Confidential → It is formed from "con-" (meaning together) and "fidelis" (meaning faithful or loyal). The word "confidential" refers to information that is meant to be kept faithful or loyal to a specific person or group, thus not shared publicly.

Memory Tip

Think of information that is kept 'faithful' ('fidelis') to a person or group, and 'together' ('con-') means it should stay private.

Visually Confused Words