a word

[chrysanthemum]

A person who keeps your secrets is called confidant. What adjective do you use to express this characteristic?

 

[5jj]

dangerous?

 

[Barb_D]

Perhaps trustworthy? Or discreet?

 

[Rover_KE]

Confidential.

As 'the word' was confidant that would have been a better thread title.

Rover

 

[chrysanthemum]

But confidential means secret.

 

[Tdol]

You can have a confidential secretary, for instance, who is trusted with things other people are not.

 

[BobSmith]

You can have a confidential secretary, for instance, who is trusted with things other people are not.

Could be a BrE/AmE thing, but this usage doesn't sound familiar. Perhaps tight-lipped?

 

[Tdol]

I'm honestly not sure- it's used in BrE, but the AHD gives it: confidential - definition of confidential by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia..

 

[BobSmith]

To me, "hav[ing] a confidential secretary" sounds like you have a secret secretary that know one knows about

 

[Rover_KE]

But confidential means secret.

A confidential secretary keeps his/her boss's secrets.

Wouldn't you want your confidant to do that?

Rover

 

[Tdol]

An éminence grise would definitely have a confidential secretary. ;-)

 

[SlickVic9000]

(Not a Teacher)

I've never heard "confidential" used to describe a person. "Discreet" is the word I think you're looking for. It indicates someone who knows how to keep a secret.

 

[Rover_KE]

(Not a Teacher)

I've never heard "confidential" used to describe a person.

Besides confidential secretary there's also confidential informant.

And journalists have their confidential sources.

Rover