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confidentiality

confidentiality

96 5.4
Keeping information private so only some people can see it
  • noun
  • /ˌkɒnfɪˌdɛnʃiˈælɪti/
translation icon : confidencialidad
  • Anything you tell me will of course be protected under the rules of confidentiality and privileged infonnation of the attorney-client relationship.
  • breach confidentiality
  • break confidentiality
  • privacy and confidentiality

Understandably, I can't mention the product or the bank in question for the sake of confidentiality.

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Examples

  • A sealable envelope was attached to each survey instrument to ensure confidentiality of individual responses.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Well, he's bound by a confidentiality agreement.

  • Can you talk more about how to achieve confidentiality in this process?

  • How should the law treat the breach of that confidentiality promise?

  • Lawyers have since turned to laws on privacy, confidentiality and data protection to keep negative news about their clients out of the press.

  • Names and locations have been changed to protect the confidentiality of research participants.

    Academic text (2008)
  • I mean, there's actual confidentiality laws.

  • You know, I'm pretty sure this violated patient confidentiality laws.

  • In some cases, details have been modified to protect informants' confidentiality and safety.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The company has strict policies to ensure the confidentiality of customer information.

Synonyms

privacy
vsconfidentiality
756 3.7

Freedom from being seen or watched by other people

emphasizes protecting sensitive information rather than avoiding observation
secrecy
vsconfidentiality
165 4.4

Keeping information hidden from other people

stresses protecting sensitive information rather than mere nondisclosure
concealment
vsconfidentiality
8 5.0

Keeping something hidden or secret

focuses on safeguarding sensitive information, not only hiding facts
hiddenness
vsconfidentiality
1 7.8

A state in which something is out of sight and hard to notice or understand

is narrower, aiming to protect sensitive information not general obscurity
privity
vsconfidentiality
  • Archaic
9.9

A private situation where only the involved people know the details

focuses on protecting sensitive information rather than relationship privacy
covertness
vsconfidentiality
8.7

Being secret so other people do not know about it

is about protecting sensitive information rather than merely hiding presence
clandestinity
vsconfidentiality
  • Archaic
9.9

The state of being secret to avoid being noticed

focuses on protecting sensitive information rather than evading discovery

Antonyms

22 3.5

Being honest and clear about your actions and intentions

How Confidential

classification
  • Formal
13 6.9
secrecy
165 4.4
confidentiality
96 5.4
privacy
756 3.7
openness
5 2.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

confidentiality = confidential (transparent) = confidential + ity

The noun is a straightforward formation from the adjective 'confidential' with the productive suffix '-ity' denoting a state or quality.

Etymology

Confidentiality comes from Latin parts con- and fid, where fid means 'trust' and appears in words like confide and fidelity. So, confidentiality is about keeping information secret because someone trusted you with it.