# confidentiality

/ˌkɑnfəˌdɛnʃiˈæɫəti/ (US) · /kˌɒnfɪdˈɛnʃɪˈælɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/confidentiality
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. privacy and secrecy

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

the rule or state of keeping information private so that only specific people can see it.

For teachers: the quality or state of being confidential; the ethical or legal requirement to protect sensitive data from disclosure.

- The doctor promised to maintain full confidentiality regarding the patient's medical history.
- The legal team signed a non-disclosure agreement to ensure the confidentiality of the trade secrets during the merger negotiations.

Usage: Often used with the verbs 'maintain', 'protect', or 'breach'.

### 2. a secret

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

a piece of information told to someone in secret.

For teachers: a secret or private matter entrusted to another person. This countable use is less common than the abstract sense.

- They shared many confidentialities during their long years of friendship.
- The memoirs were criticized for revealing private confidentialities that the former minister had promised to take to the grave.

## Examples

- The doctor promised strict confidentiality about my health.
- The company signed a confidentiality agreement before sharing the new product designs.
- In legal proceedings, the principle of confidentiality ensures that privileged communications between attorney and client remain protected from public disclosure.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.