occultare

Occultare is an Italian verb of the first conjugation meaning to hide, conceal, or obscure something from view or knowledge. It applies to tangible objects as well as to information, intentions, or truths. The action is usually deliberate and may carry a sense of secrecy or evasion, depending on context.

Etymology and related terms: Occultare derives from Latin occultare, from occultus meaning hidden or secret. It is related to the Latin root occultus and, through historical usage, to related European languages; in Italian, the noun occultazione denotes the act or result of occulting, most commonly used in astronomy to describe a celestial event where one body passes in front of and blocks the light of another.

Usage and forms: Occultare is a regular -are verb. Present tense: io occulto, tu occulti, lui/lei occultа, noi occultiamo, voi occultate, loro occultano. Passato prossimo uses avere: ho occultato, hai occultato, ha occultato; imperfect: occultavo, occultavi, occultava, occultavamo, occultavate, occultavano. The gerund is occultando, and the past participle is occultato. Common collocations include occultare la verità (to conceal the truth), occultare documenti, occultare un comportamento.

See also: The term occultazione is used in astronomy for an event in which an object is hidden by another. In broader usage, occultare is often contrasted with fare luce o rivelare, which express revealing rather than concealing.