1 conceal | Definition of conceal
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conceal

verb
con·​ceal | \ kən-ˈsēl How to pronounce conceal (audio) \
concealed; concealing; conceals

Definition of conceal

transitive verb

1 : to prevent disclosure or recognition of conceal the truth She could barely conceal her anger.
2 : to place out of sight concealed himself behind the door The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence.
Other Words from conceal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about conceal

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Other Words from conceal

concealable \ kən-​ˈsē-​lə-​bəl How to pronounce concealable (audio) \ adjective
concealingly \ kən-​ˈsē-​liŋ-​lē How to pronounce concealingly (audio) \ adverb
concealment \ kən-​ˈsēl-​mənt How to pronounce concealment (audio) \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for conceal

Synonyms

bury, cache, ensconce, hide, secrete

Antonyms

display, exhibit

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Choose the Right Synonym for conceal

hide, conceal, screen, secrete, bury mean to withhold or withdraw from sight. hide may or may not suggest intent. hide in the closet a house hidden in the woods conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge. concealed the weapon screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery. a house screened by trees secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others. secreted the amulet inside his shirt bury implies covering up so as to hide completely. buried the treasure

Examples of conceal in a Sentence

The sunglasses conceal her eyes. The controls are concealed behind a panel. The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence. The editorial accused the government of concealing the truth. She could barely conceal her anger.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing official reprisals, said many doctors and nurses felt angry about authorities putting their lives at risk by concealing vital information. — Vladimir Isachenkov, chicagotribune.com, "Russian doctor has trace of radiation after blast at military testing range," 23 Aug. 2019 The workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing official reprisals, said many doctors and nurses felt angry about authorities putting their lives at risk by concealing vital information. — Washington Post, "Russian doctor has trace of radiation after explosion," 23 Aug. 2019 Notorious ex-Detective Mark Handy invoked his right against self-incrimination hundreds of times Tuesday when he was grilled about framing defendants for murders by concealing and fabricating evidence. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "Ex-LMPD detective refuses to testify about framing multiple men for murders," 6 Aug. 2019 The idea of concealing a health diagnosis was appalling to this Chinese-American. — Brian X. Chen, New York Times, "The Cultural Truth at the Heart of the Lies in ‘The Farewell’," 24 July 2019 Shareholders have also sued Boeing accusing it of concealing safety deficiencies in its 737 MAX planes. — Abdi Latif Dahir, Quartz Africa, "The Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash could warrant historic punitive damages against Boeing," 2 July 2019 That rule makes sense because otherwise even the most blatant obstructers could avoid accountability by successfully concealing their crimes from investigators. — Barbara Mcquade, Time, "These 11 Mueller Report Myths Just Won’t Die. Here’s Why They’re Wrong," 24 June 2019 Talpur's arrest comes hours after Pakistan's Supreme Judicial Council began examining a government request for the removal of senior judge Qazi Faez Eisa for concealing assets abroad. — Fox News, "Pakistan's anti-graft body arrests sister of ex-president," 14 June 2019 Numerous reasons, ranging from social propriety to commercial marketability, existed for concealing the fact that a woman had a hand in writing a play. — Phyllis Rackin, The Atlantic, "The Hidden Women Writers of the Elizabethan Theater," 8 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conceal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of conceal

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for conceal

Middle English concelen, borrowed from Anglo-French conceler, borrowed from Latin concēlāre, from con- con- + cēlāre "to hide, keep secret," probably derivative of an unattested lengthened-grade noun formed from the Indo-European verb base *ḱel- "cover, conceal," whence Latin occulere "to hide from view, keep secret" (from *ob-cel-), Old Irish ceilid "(s/he) hides," Welsh celaf "(I) hide," Germanic *hel-a- "hide" (whence Old English, Old Saxon & Old High German helan "to hide, keep secret")

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More Definitions for conceal

conceal

verb
How to pronounce conceal (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of conceal

: to hide (something or someone) from sight
: to keep (something) secret

See the full definition for conceal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

conceal

verb
con·​ceal | \ kən-ˈsēl How to pronounce conceal (audio) \
concealed; concealing

Kids Definition of conceal

1 : to hide from sight The safe was concealed behind a large painting.
2 : to keep secret He managed to conceal his true identity.

conceal

transitive verb
con·​ceal

Legal Definition of conceal

1 : to prevent disclosure of or fail to disclose (as a provision in a contract) especially in violation of a duty to disclose
2a : to place out of sight

Note: A weapon need only be placed out of ordinary observation in order to be considered a concealed weapon.

b : to prevent or hinder recognition, discovery, or recovery of

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