What does top secret mean?

Definitions for top secret
top se·cret

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word top secret.


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Wiktionary

  1. top secretadjective

    Information classified at the highest level of sensitivity by a government, based on an assessment that it would cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if disclosed.

  2. top secretadjective

    A level of security clearance needed to access such information.

  3. top secretadjective

    Pertaining to any especially sensitive closed-room activities.

Wikipedia

  1. top secret

    Classified information is material that a government body deems to be sensitive information that must be protected. Access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of people with the necessary security clearance and need to know, and mishandling of the material can incur criminal penalties. A formal security clearance is required to view or handle classified material. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation. Documents and other information must be properly marked "by the author" with one of several (hierarchical) levels of sensitivity—e.g. restricted, confidential, secret, and top secret. The choice of level is based on an impact assessment; governments have their own criteria, including how to determine the classification of an information asset and rules on how to protect information classified at each level. This process often includes security clearances for personnel handling the information. Some corporations and non-government organizations also assign levels of protection to their private information, either from a desire to protect trade secrets, or because of laws and regulations governing various matters such as personal privacy, sealed legal proceedings and the timing of financial information releases. With the passage of time much classified information can become less sensitive, and may be declassified and made public. Since the late twentieth century there has been freedom of information legislation in some countries, whereby the public is deemed to have the right to all information that is not considered to be damaging if released. Sometimes documents are released with information still considered confidential obscured (redacted), as in the adjacent example. The question exists among some political science and legal experts whether the definition of classified ought to be information that would cause injury to the cause of justice, human rights, etc., rather than information that would cause injury to the national interest; to distinguish when classifying information is in the collective best interest of a just society, or merely the best interest of a society acting unjustly to protect its people, government, or administrative officials from legitimate recourses consistent with a fair and just social contract.

Wikidata

  1. Top Secret

    Top Secret is an espionage-themed role-playing game written by Merle M. Rasmussen and first published in 1980 by TSR, Inc.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

  1. top secret

    See security classification.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of top secret in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of top secret in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of top secret in a Sentence

  1. Sam Smith:

    This has been a top-secret mission of my own trying to keep it a secret.

  2. Heather Allen:

    We knew that they were potentially seeking a dog for Hollywood but we didnt know why, it was top secret, they were looking for a particularlook and we werent sure for what.

  3. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee:

    The fact that Hillary Clinton sent 'Top Secret' information from her personal email address is beyond outrageously illegal, it's life-threatening to members of our military and every American citizen. The same action, for anyone serving in the military, would mean a court-martial and prison sentence.

  4. State Department:

    The State Department will be denying in full seven email chains, found in 22 documents representing 37 pages, the documents are being upgraded at the request of the Intelligence Community because they contain a category of Top Secret information ... These documents were not marked classified at the time they were sent.

  5. Sam Kass:

    Top secret, i love this family and believe in everything the president and first lady are doing and this has been the greatest job of my life and I assume will be the greatest job of my life.


Translations for top secret

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"top secret." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/top+secret>.

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