confidentiality

confidentiality — noun

1. the condition in which private or sensitive information is kept secret and is no

1.nounB2
Definition

the condition in which private or sensitive information is kept secret and is not shared with people who are not allowed to see it

Example

The hospital has strict rules about the confidentiality of patient records.

collocation: confidentiality of [something]

Tendai reminded her staff that client confidentiality must be respected at all times.

collocation: client confidentiality + passive: must be respected

Common collocations
  • breach of confidentiality
  • maintain confidentiality
  • client confidentiality
  • strict confidentiality
  • protect confidentiality
  • confidentiality of records
Synonyms
  • privacy

    broader and more personal — covers personal life and decisions, not just secret information

  • secrecy

    slightly negative connotation; suggests intentional concealment rather than professional duty

  • discretion

    emphasises careful judgement about what to share, rather than a fixed rule

Antonyms
  • disclosure

    the act of making information known

  • publicity

    the state of being widely known or advertised

Grammar Patterns

confidentiality + of + noun phrase

adjective + confidentiality

Usage Note

Frequently appears with verbs such as 'maintain', 'ensure', 'protect', and 'breach'. The object of the 'of' phrase is typically personal or proprietary (patient records, client data, trade secrets).

Common Mistakes

The lawyer promised confidential.
The lawyer promised confidentiality.
'confidential' is an adjective; the noun form is needed after a verb.
We need to keep this information in confidentiality.
We need to keep this information confidential.
'in confidentiality' is unidiomatic; use the adjective after 'keep'.

2. a formal promise or legal requirement that certain information must be kept secr

2.nounC1
Definition

a formal promise or legal requirement that certain information must be kept secret and not revealed to anyone outside the authorised group

Example

Haruto signed a confidentiality agreement before joining the research project.

collocation: sign a confidentiality agreement

The therapist explained that confidentiality would only be broken if someone was in danger.

passive: confidentiality would be broken

Common collocations
  • confidentiality agreement
  • confidentiality clause
  • duty of confidentiality
  • under confidentiality
  • terms of confidentiality
  • break confidentiality
Synonyms
  • secrecy

    less formal and less legal — implies concealment rather than a duty

  • discretion

    focuses on careful judgement rather than a binding promise

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

under + (strict/complete) + confidentiality

confidentiality + agreement/clause/undertaking

Usage Note

Commonly combined with 'agreement', 'clause', 'undertaking', or 'obligation' to refer to a specific legal document or provision. Also appears in the phrase 'under confidentiality', which functions adverbially to describe the conditions under which information was shared.

Common Mistakes

He signed a confidentiality.
He signed a confidentiality agreement.
'confidentiality' alone is an abstract noun; the document is an 'agreement'.
I have confidentially with my boss about the salary.
I have a confidentiality agreement with my boss about the salary.
'confidentially' is an adverb meaning 'in secret', not a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Confidentiality, privacy, secrecy, and discretion all relate to keeping information hidden, but they differ in context and tone. Confidentiality is the most formal and professional term — it implies a legal or ethical duty not to share information, common in medicine, law, and business (e.g., 'doctor–patient confidentiality'). Privacy is broader and more personal, covering an individual's right to control their own personal information and space. Secrecy carries a slightly negative connotation and suggests intentional concealment that may be suspicious (e.g., 'government secrecy'). Discretion emphasises the careful, balanced judgement involved in deciding what to reveal and what to hold back, rather than a binding rule. For example: a lawyer has a duty of confidentiality toward their client, but a friend deciding not to gossip about someone's problems is showing discretion, not confidentiality.

confidentiality ↗privacy ↗secrecydiscretion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • breach of confidentiality
  • duty of confidentiality
  • terms of confidentiality
  • under strict confidentiality
  • confidentiality agreement
  • maintain confidentiality
  • respect confidentiality
  • protect confidentiality

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'confidentiality' is built inside English from the adjective 'confidential' (secret, private) plus the noun-forming suffix '-ity', which turns adjectives into abstract nouns. 'Confidential' comes from Latin 'confidere' ('com-' meaning 'together' + 'fidere' meaning 'to trust'). The core idea is 'shared in trust' — information given to someone on the understanding that they will not pass it on. The legal and professional uses of the term became widespread in the 19th century alongside the development of professional codes of conduct in medicine and law.