confidentiality
confidentiality — noun
1. the condition in which private or sensitive information is kept secret and is no
the condition in which private or sensitive information is kept secret and is not shared with people who are not allowed to see it
The hospital has strict rules about the confidentiality of patient records.
collocation: confidentiality of [something]
Tendai reminded her staff that client confidentiality must be respected at all times.
collocation: client confidentiality + passive: must be respected
A breach of confidentiality can damage the trust between a company and its customers.
All emails containing personal data are sent with strict confidentiality protections.
- privacy
broader and more personal — covers personal life and decisions, not just secret information
- secrecy
slightly negative connotation; suggests intentional concealment rather than professional duty
- discretion
emphasises careful judgement about what to share, rather than a fixed rule
- disclosure
the act of making information known
- publicity
the state of being widely known or advertised
文法句型
confidentiality + of + noun phrase
adjective + confidentiality
用法筆記
Frequently appears with verbs such as 'maintain', 'ensure', 'protect', and 'breach'. The object of the 'of' phrase is typically personal or proprietary (patient records, client data, trade secrets).
常見錯誤
2. a formal promise or legal requirement that certain information must be kept secr
a formal promise or legal requirement that certain information must be kept secret and not revealed to anyone outside the authorised group
Haruto signed a confidentiality agreement before joining the research project.
collocation: sign a confidentiality agreement
The therapist explained that confidentiality would only be broken if someone was in danger.
passive: confidentiality would be broken
Under the terms of confidentiality, Sumin could not discuss the merger with anyone outside the legal team.
The confidentiality clause in the contract prevents former employees from sharing trade secrets.
- secrecy
less formal and less legal — implies concealment rather than a duty
- discretion
focuses on careful judgement rather than a binding promise
- transparency
the opposite of secrecy; openness in information-sharing
- public disclosure
revealing information to the general public
文法句型
under + (strict/complete) + confidentiality
confidentiality + agreement/clause/undertaking
用法筆記
Commonly combined with 'agreement', 'clause', 'undertaking', or 'obligation' to refer to a specific legal document or provision. Also appears in the phrase 'under confidentiality', which functions adverbially to describe the conditions under which information was shared.