confidential and secret share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. confidential means “entrusted with private information and the confidence of another”. secret means “not open or public; kept private or not revealed”. secret is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/
1.adj.entrusted with private information and the confidence of another
“a confidential secretary”
2.adj.(of information) given in confidence or in secret
“this arrangement must be kept confidential”
3.adj.denoting confidence or intimacy
“a confidential approach”
| confidential | secret | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/ | /ˈsikɹət/ |
| Said | kahn-fuh-DEN-shuhl | SEE-kruht |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Letters | 12 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 14 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for confidential · Full entry for secret · More comparisons
/ˈsikɹət/
1.adj.not open or public; kept private or not revealed
“a secret formula”
2.adj.conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
“clandestine intelligence operations”
3.adj.not openly made known
“a secret marriage”