nascosto

Nascosto is an Italian adjective meaning hidden or concealed, not immediately visible or disclosed. It is also the past participle of the verb nascondere, to hide, and is used to describe things kept out of sight or ideas not openly expressed. The word agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number, as in oggetto nascosto, informazioni nascoste, or intenzione nascosta.

Origin and usage: Derived from nascondere, nascosto denotes a state of concealment and is common in everyday language, journalism, and literature. It is used for both concrete things (un oggetto nascosto) and abstract concepts (un interesse nascosto, una verità nascosta). In technical and digital contexts, nascosto appears in phrases such as campo nascosto (hidden field) in forms or interfaces, and is widely understood in IT and web development.

Nuance and idioms: Nascosto often implies intentional concealment rather than mere physical absence. It is frequently used figuratively to indicate subtext, secrets, or motives—per esempio, un significato nascosto, un messaggio nascosto. The opposite terms include visibile, evidente, palese, manifesto.

See also: nascere? No, see also nascondere, occulto, segreto, celato, nascosta.