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1 ADJ Information that is confidential is meant to be kept secret or private. □  She accused them of leaking confidential information about her private life. □  We'll take good care and keep what you've told us strictly confidential, Mr. Lane. ●  con|fi|den|tial|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  Any information they give will be treated confidentially. ●  con|fi|den|ti|al|ity /kɒ nf I denʃiæ l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the confidentiality of the client-solicitor relationship.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you talk to someone in a confidential way, you talk to them quietly because what you are saying is secret or private. □  All of this is delivered in a warm, confidential tone. □  His face suddenly turned solemn, his voice confidential. ●  con|fi|den|tial|ly ADV [ADV after v] □  Nash hadn't raised his voice, still spoke rather softly, confidentially.

con|fi|den|tial|ly /kɒ nf I de nʃəli/

1 ADV Confidentially is used to say that what you are telling someone is a secret and should not be discussed with anyone else. □  Confidentially, I am not sure that it wasn't above their heads.

2 → see also confidential

con|figu|ra|tion /kənf I gʊre I ʃ ^ə n, [AM ] -f I gjə-/ (configurations )

1 N‑COUNT A configuration is an arrangement of a group of things. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …Stonehenge, in south-western England, an ancient configuration of giant stones.

2 N‑UNCOUNT The configuration of a computer system is way in which all its parts, such as the hardware and software, are connected together in order for the computer to work. [COMPUTING ]

con|fig|ure /kənf I gə ^r , [AM ] -gjər/ (configures , configuring , configured ) VERB If you configure a piece of computer equipment, you set it up so that it is ready for use. [COMPUTING ] □ [V n] How easy was it to configure the software?

con|fine (confines , confining , confined ) The verb is pronounced /kənfa I n/. The noun confines is pronounced /kɒ nfa I nz/. 1 VERB To confine something to a particular place or group means to prevent it from spreading beyond that place or group. □ [V n + to ] Health officials have successfully confined the epidemic to the Tabatinga area. □ [V n] The U.S. will soon be taking steps to confine the conflict.

2 VERB If you confine yourself or your activities to something, you do only that thing and are involved with nothing else. □ [V pron-refl + to ] He did not confine himself to the one language. □ [V -ed] His genius was not confined to the decoration of buildings.

3 VERB [usu passive] If someone is confined to a mental institution, prison, or other place, they are sent there and are not allowed to leave for a period of time. □ [be V -ed + to ] The woman will be confined to a mental institution.

4 N‑PLURAL Something that is within the confines of an area or place is within the boundaries enclosing it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The movie is set entirely within the confines of the abandoned factory.

5 N‑PLURAL The confines of a situation, system, or activity are the limits or restrictions it involves. □ [+ of ] …away from the confines of the British class system. □ [+ of ] I can't stand the confines of this marriage.

con|fined /kənfa I nd/

1 ADJ If something is confined to a particular place, it exists only in that place. If it is confined to a particular group, only members of that group have it. □ [+ to ] The problem is not confined to Germany. □ [+ to ] These dangers are not confined to smokers.