Definition

Noun: A secret society is a formal organization whose members are bound by oath and whose existence, membership, activities, and rituals are deliberately concealed from non-members and often from the public at large.

Usage

A "secret society" is a type of closed group. The term is used to describe organizations that operate with a high degree of privacy and exclusivity. It is a countable noun.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to belong to a secret society": to be a member of such an organization.
  • He was suspected of belonging to a powerful secret society.
• "the inner workings of a secret society": the hidden operations and decision-making processes of the group.
  • The book claimed to reveal the inner workings of a famous secret society.

Variants and Related Words

• Secret (adj): kept hidden from knowledge or view.
• Society (n): an organized group of persons associated together for religious, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.
• Fraternity (n): a group of people sharing a common profession or interests; often used for some collegiate social organizations, which can sometimes have secretive aspects.
• Order (n): a society or fraternity, such as a monastic order or a chivalric order, which may also have secretive traditions.

Synonyms

• Cabal: a small group of people who work together secretly, often for a sinister purpose.
• Clique: a small, exclusive group of people with shared interests, though not necessarily secretive in the formal sense of a "secret society."
• Lodge: a local chapter or meeting place of a fraternal organization, many of which are secret societies.

Related Phrases

• "Sworn to secrecy": having made a solemn promise not to reveal information. This phrase is often associated with the oaths taken by members of a secret society.
  • Members are sworn to secrecy about the society's rituals.
• "Behind closed doors": in private, away from public knowledge. This describes how a secret society often operates.
  • The secret society conducted its meetings behind closed doors.

Noun

1. a society that conceals its activities from nonmembers