keep it in the family en · VERB
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To restrict knowledge or information to only the members of a family or another small, intimate group.
Near-synonyms: keep one's own counsel, keep one's mouth shut, STFU; see also Thesaurus:be quiet
- (idiomatic) To remain loyal to one's family; to retain family ownership of a business for long period of time.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kept it in the family | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| kept it in the family | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| keeps it in the family | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| keeping it in the family | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Antonyms
air one's dirty laundry in public
Relateds
close to the vest · on the down-low · closely held · family business · family office