secret society

American  

noun

1. an organization, as a fraternal society, the members of which take secret initiation oaths, share secret passwords and rites, and are bound to assist each other.

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secret society British  

noun

1. a society or organization that conceals its rites, activities, etc, from those who are not members

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Etymology

Origin of secret society

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

La Mutua formed in 1900 as a secret society to assist members fighting against the theft of their land and water rights.

From Los Angeles Times

“In some sense, it feels better to believe that there’s a secret society controlling everything than believing that entropy and chaos rule.”

From Los Angeles Times

He was business manager of The Yale Daily News and a member of the exclusive Skull and Bones secret society.

From New York Times

The movie, written and directed by Kobi Libii, is a satire about a secret society of Black people dedicated to making white lives easier.

From Seattle Times

While his main focus was always communism, Welch eventually came to believe that the conspiracy’s roots twisted far back into history, to the Illuminati, an 18th-century Bavarian secret society.

From Seattle Times