secret vs open secret

open secret vs secret

secret and open secret both are nouns.

secret is an adjective but open secret is not an adjective.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
secret	Yes	Yes	No	No
open secret	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, open secret is a hyponym of secret; that is, open secret is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than secret:

secret: something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
open secret: something that is supposed to be secret but is generally known

Other hyponyms of secret include confidence, trade secret.

secret (noun)	open secret (noun)
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained	something that is supposed to be secret but is generally known
something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
information known only to a special group

secret (adjective)	open secret (adjective)
the next to highest level of official classification for documents
not open or public; kept private or not revealed
having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding
not expressed
(of information) given in confidence or in secret
not openly made known
conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
designed to elude detection
indulging only covertly
hidden from general view or use
communicated covertly

Difference between secret and open secret

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