Either that which is kept from the knowledge of the majority or a specific minority or individual, or an adjective describing such a piece of information. Compare to surprise, wherein the information is planned to be revealed.

If the secrecy of a piece of information is not beneficial to all those that know the information, chances are that the secret shall not be kept. This is especially true in high school or in the world of buisness.

Among the online community, in the so-called information age, secrets are seen as bad things. For many, the hacker manifesto summarises there views: information wants to be free. Others see the Orwellian invasion of privacy as one of the most horrible aspects of modern society. Regardless of one's stance, it is true that secrets are becoming more and more difficult to keep.