WordGarden.iohiddenness
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Meanings
Noun
the state or quality of being hidden from view or notice
the quality of being secret, obscure, or not known
Beyond the definition
Hiddenness isn't just about the act of hiding; it's the state of being concealed or not easily discovered. Think of a shy creature nestled in the undergrowth—its hiddenness is its protection. It can refer to physical concealment, like a treasure buried deep underground, but also to something more abstract, like veiled emotions or motives. A character in a novel might cultivate an air of hiddenness, deliberately keeping their true self obscured from others. Sometimes hiddenness is intentional, and sometimes it is accidental; a lost key, for example, is simply in a state of hiddenness until it is found.
Hiddenness describes the condition of being concealed, obscure, or not readily apparent. It is more than just the act of hiding; it is the quality of being hidden. This can apply to physical things—a secret compartment in a desk or a lost city swallowed by the jungle—but it also extends to abstract concepts like feelings, intentions, or truths.
Consider a forest: its density creates a sense of hiddenness, obscuring whatever lies within. A person might live in hiddenness as a defense mechanism, shielding their vulnerabilities from the world. In literature and psychology, hiddenness often plays a crucial role in character development; a character's concealed past or internal motivations can drive the plot forward.
The concept also appears in theological contexts, referring to God's perceived distance or unknowability: the "hiddenness of God." It differs slightly from secrecy, which often implies the deliberate act of withholding information. Hiddenness, by contrast, describes the broader state of being unseen or unknown. A forgotten memory may be described as existing in hiddenness; it was not necessarily suppressed, but rather lost to time. Whether describing a physical location, an emotional state, or a philosophical concept, hiddenness speaks to that which remains veiled and waiting to be revealed, or perhaps meant to remain unseen.
Examples
- 1
Secluded place
The hiddenness of the path makes the beach feel almost private.
- 2
Remote work
He liked the hiddenness of remote work, where no one was watching him all day.
- 3
Literary theme
The novel connects grief with hiddenness, as if real pain stays out of sight.
- 4
Theology
In theology, some writers discuss the hiddenness of God when people feel that God is silent or absent.
- Domainthe hiddenness of God
the idea that God is hard to find or seems absent
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- secrecy
- invisibility
- unobtrusiveness
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- state of hiddenness
- sense of hiddenness
- divine hiddenness
Word family
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Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- hiddennessnoun