Definition

1. Noun:

   • Secret pact / secret agreement: A formal or binding promise, arrangement, or treaty made between parties, which is deliberately kept hidden from others, especially from the public or rival entities.
   • Secret covenant: A solemn, often mutual, pledge or understanding that is concealed.

2. Verb (less common):

   • To make a secret pact / to pledge in secret: The act of agreeing or promising something to another party in a concealed manner.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Hai nước đã ký một mật ước về việc hỗ trợ quân sự. (The two countries signed a secret pact on military support.)
  • Mật ước giữa họ cuối cùng cũng bị phát hiện. (The secret agreement between them was finally discovered.)

• Verb:

  • Họ đã mật ước sẽ giúp đỡ lẫn nhau trong mọi hoàn cảnh. (They pledged in secret to help each other under all circumstances.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a formal or serious connotation, used in contexts of diplomacy, politics, or clandestine plots. It implies a level of intentional secrecy that could have significant consequences if revealed.

Variants and Related Words

• Hiệp ước bí mật (n): Secret treaty. A more formal synonym, often used in historical or diplomatic contexts.
• Giao kèo ngầm (n): Underhanded deal or covert contract. Can imply a morally questionable secret agreement.

Synonyms

• Secret agreement: A general term for any undisclosed arrangement.
• Clandestine pact: Emphasizes the surreptitious and concealed nature.
• Covert treaty: Highlights the formal, often political, aspect of the hidden agreement.

Related Idioms

• Bàn mật: To discuss secretly / to have a confidential discussion. While not an idiom containing "mật ước," it describes the act of secret planning that often precedes one.
  • Lãnh đạo hai bên bàn mật suốt đêm. (The leaders of both sides held secret talks all night.)