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Office & Administration vocabulary · Filing & Documents

Confidential

Meaning in office & administration, with examples

/ˌkɒnfɪˈdenʃəl/adjectiveCore term

In office & administration, confidential means: Private and meant to be seen only by certain people, such as salary details, contracts or personal information about staff and clients.

In Turkish: gizli, kişiye özel, mahrem

How it is used

Often printed on documents or envelopes: "Private and Confidential". Admin staff handle confidential information every day and must store it safely, share it only with authorised people and shred it when it is no longer needed. The noun is confidentiality.

Example sentences

  1. Please mark the envelope "Private and Confidential" before you send it to the director.

  2. Salary information is strictly confidential and must not be left on the printer.

Common collocations

  • strictly confidential
  • private and confidential
  • confidential information
  • keep something confidential
  • shredderA machine that cuts paper into very small strips or pieces so that confidential documents cannot be read.
  • filing cabinetA piece of office furniture with deep drawers for storing papers and files in order, often with a lock.
  • record-keepingThe work of creating, organising and storing records, such as invoices, contracts and staff files, accurately and in a way that makes them easy to find.
  • personal assistantAn assistant who works for one senior person, managing their calendar, emails, travel and meetings and often handling private or confidential matters.

More terms: Filing & Documents

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