behind closed doors

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

in private, away from public observation and scrutiny, with the implication that what occurs in such conditions may differ from behaviour in public view; the closed door is a fundamental symbol of the private sphere — the domestic, confidential, or intimate space where social performance relaxes and authenticity (or its opposite, hidden misconduct) is possible; the phrase is used to describe both legitimate privacy — the private deliberations of negotiators, the intimacy of personal relationships, the confidential pastoral encounter — and concealed wrongdoing — the abuse of power that occurs only when there are no witnesses; it raises the political question of whether democracy, accountability, and justice require that closed doors be opened to public scrutiny, and where the line between legitimate privacy and impermissible opacity lies