What does secretion mean?
A secretion is a substance released by a gland, cell, or similar biological structure. The term may denote the substance itself or the process of producing and releasing it. Common examples include mucus, sweat, saliva, hormones, and enzymes. In medicine and biology, “secretion” is formal and precise: doctors may discuss abnormal vaginal secretion, increased mucus secretion, or reduced hormone secretion. More generally, it can refer to the act of releasing information or making something available, though this use often has a clinical, bureaucratic, or secretive tone. The word is especially useful when discussing the body’s chemical communication system, in which glands release substances that influence nearby tissues or travel through the bloodstream to distant parts of the body. It should not be confused with “excretion,” which refers chiefly to removing waste from the body.
A substance produced and released by a gland, cell, or organism, or the process of producing and releasing such a substance.
"Researchers measured the secretion of insulin by the pancreas."
In biological and medical contexts, this is a formal term that can refer either to the process or to the released substance.
The act of releasing or making known information, especially information that is confidential or has been restricted.
"Unauthorized secretion of database records led to an investigation."
This use is uncommon outside formal, legal, or bureaucratic contexts and can sound deliberately secretive.
The plural is natural when referring to multiple released substances or multiple biological products.
"The test detected unusual secretions from the infected tissue."
The human body uses secretions as an internal messaging system: glands release tiny chemical signals that can travel through the bloodstream and coordinate organs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does secretion come from?
The word comes through Old French from Latin secretio, a noun formed from secernere, meaning “to separate” or “set apart.” The same Latin verb supplies the English verb “secrete.” Its development from the idea of separating or setting something apart came to include the production and release of substances from glands and, later, the disclosure of information.
Related word forms
How secretion is actually used
In biological contexts, “secretion” is usually a formal or technical term and may refer either to the process or to the substance produced. In general usage, it can sound clinical or bureaucratic, especially when describing the disclosure of information. The spellings “secretion” and “secretion” are both standard in current English.