Secret vs. Mystery — What's the Difference?

Not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others

A religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through divine revelation.

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others

One that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma

Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed

One whose identity is unknown and who arouses curiosity

Not expressed; inward

A mysterious character or quality

Given to keeping one's thoughts and activities unknown to others; secretive

Something that is a secret

Not revealing a secret or not given to revealing secrets

A work of fiction, such as a novel or a movie, that has a story centered around solving a puzzling crime or mysterious event.

Operating in a hidden or confidential manner

A nonfictional account of a puzzling crime or mysterious event presented in the manner of a mystery.

Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a grave threat to national security.

A religious cult practicing secret rites to which only initiates are admitted.

Not much visited; secluded

A secret rite of such a cult.

Known or shared only by the initiated

An incident from the life of Jesus, especially the Incarnation, Passion, Crucifixion, or Resurrection, of particular importance for redemption.

Beyond ordinary understanding; mysterious

One of the 15 incidents from the lives of Jesus or the Blessed Virgin Mary, such as the Annunciation or the Ascension, serving in Roman Catholicism as the subject of meditation during recitation of the rosary.

Something that is kept out of the knowledge or sight of others or is known only to oneself or a few

Also Mystery One of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Something that remains beyond understanding or explanation; a mystery

Mysteries The consecrated elements of the Eucharist.

A method or formula for doing or making something well, especially when not widely known

Often mysteries The skills, lore, or practices that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates

Secret A variable prayer said after the Offertory and before the Preface in the Mass.

A mystery play.

(countable) A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden.

A trade or occupation.

The key or principle by which something is made clear; the knack.

A guild, as of merchants or artisans.

Something not understood or known.

Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown.

(uncountable) Private seclusion.

Someone or something with an obscure or puzzling nature.

The genital organs.

(obsolete) A secret or mystical meaning.

(historical) A form of steel skullcap.

A religious truth not understandable by the application of human reason alone (without divine aid).

Any prayer spoken inaudibly and not aloud; especially, one of the prayers in the Mass, immediately following the "orate, fratres", said inaudibly by the celebrant.

A sacrament.

Being or kept hidden.

A secret religious celebration, admission to which was usually through initiation.

(obsolete) Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.

(Catholicism) A particular event or series of events in the life of Christ.

(obsolete) Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive, separate, apart.

A craft, art or trade; specifically a guild of craftsmen.

(obsolete) Separate; distinct.

A profound secret; something wholly unknown, or something kept cautiously concealed, and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder; something which has not been or can not be explained; hence, specifically, that which is beyond human comprehension.

(transitive) To make or keep secret.

A kind of secret religious celebration, to which none were admitted except those who had been initiated by certain preparatory ceremonies; - usually plural; as, the Eleusinian mysteries.

(transitive) To hide secretly.

The consecrated elements in the eucharist.

Hidden; concealed; as, secret treasure; secret plans; a secret vow.

Anything artfully made difficult; an enigma.

Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.

A trade; a handicraft; hence, any business with which one is usually occupied.

Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive.

A dramatic representation of a Scriptural subject, often some event in the life of Christ; a dramatic composition of this character; as, the Chester Mysteries, consisting of dramas acted by various craft associations in that city in the early part of the 14th century.

Separate; distinct.

Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained;

Something studiously concealed; a thing kept from general knowledge; what is not revealed, or not to be revealed.

A story about a crime (usually murder) presented as a novel or play or movie

A thing not discovered; what is unknown or unexplained; a mystery.

The parts which modesty and propriety require to be concealed; the genital organs.

To keep secret.

Something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on);

Information known only to a special group;

Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained;

Not open or public; kept private or not revealed;

Conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods;

Not openly made known;

Communicated covertly;

Not expressed;

Designed to elude detection;

Hidden from general view or use;

(of information) given in confidence or in secret;

Indulging only covertly;

Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding;

The next to highest level of official classification for documents