state secrets
Top-secret government information
State secrets are government information kept classified for national security reasons—military plans, intelligence operations, diplomatic communications.
The phrase often appears in legal contexts where governments claim state secrets privilege to withhold evidence from courts.
Revealing state secrets is typically a serious crime: He was convicted of passing state secrets to a foreign government.
Restricted from disclosure
- covertIntentionally concealed
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- spyCovert information gatherer
agent · undercover · surveillance · counterintelligence · mole · double agent · dead drop · tradecraft
Maximum security clearance level
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- national securitySafeguarding a country's interests
- clearancePermitted passage or approval
- restrictedLimited in scope
sensitive · defense · documents · archives · classified information · official · cabinet · executive
Breaking of agreement
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- exposureState of being unprotected
- unauthorizedNot officially permitted
- whistleblowerInsider who reports misconduct
media · scandal · hackers · data breach · compromise · revelation · journalism · source
State of being see-through
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- exposeMake known publicly
- truthAccordance with reality
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
courage · dissent · protection · retaliation · conscience · oversight · reform · civil liberties
classified
Restricted from disclosure
- covertIntentionally concealed
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
spy · agent · undercover · surveillance · counterintelligence · mole · double agent · dead drop · tradecraft · handler
top-secret
Maximum security clearance level
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- national securitySafeguarding a country's interests
- clearancePermitted passage or approval
restricted · sensitive · defense · documents · archives · classified information · official · cabinet · executive · sovereign
breach
Breaking of agreement
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- exposureState of being unprotected
- unauthorizedNot officially permitted
whistleblower · media · scandal · hackers · data breach · compromise · revelation · journalism · source · leaked documents
transparency
State of being see-through
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- exposeMake known publicly
- truthAccordance with reality
ethics · courage · dissent · protection · retaliation · conscience · oversight · reform · civil liberties · testimony
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- secrecysecrecy, secret, confidential, classified, hidden
- secretssecrecy, secret, trade secret, confidential, classified
- censorshipbanned books, censored, banned, book banning, book bans
- classified inteltop secret, classified, classified documents, confidential, eyes only
- national securityCIA, FBI, NSA, Pentagon, DHS
state secretspublic records
Officially filed, publicly accessible documents
public information · declassified documents · open data · freedom of information · press releases
state secretsgovernment transparency
Public access to official proceedings
open government · public accountability · sunshine laws · investigative journalism · glasnost
state secretspublic knowledge
Facts anyone can access
common knowledge · collective intelligence · universal access · popular wisdom
state, statement, stated, secrets, states, stately, stating, statements, statesman