celare

Celare is a verb meaning to hide or conceal, used in Latin and modern Italian to indicate the act of making something unseen or not known. It can refer to concealing a physical object, information, or one’s own intentions or feelings, and it appears in both everyday and formal contexts.

In Latin, celare is a first-conjugation verb with the infinitive celāre. Its principal parts are cēlō, celāre, cēlāvī, cēlātum. As a regular -āre verb, it forms standard Latin tense and mood endings and governs a direct object for what is hidden. The range of usage includes concealing things, actions, or secrets, as well as metaphorical concealment such as hiding one’s motives or plans.

In modern Italian, celare is a regular -are verb. The present indicative forms include io celo, tu celi, lui/lei cela, noi celiamo, voi celate, loro celano. The past participle is celato, and the gerund is celando. The verb is common in everyday speech and writing, used with nouns such as segreto (secret) or intenzioni (intentions): for example, celare un segreto (to hide a secret) or celare le proprie intenzioni (to conceal one’s intentions). The reflexive form celarsi means to hide oneself.

Translations into English typically render celare as "to hide" or "to conceal." Etymologically, the Italian term derives from the Latin celāre, reflecting the shared meaning across Romance languages and classical literature.