dirty linen: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Idiomatic, informal to neutral; most common in journalistic, political, and conversational contexts.
Quick answer
What does “dirty linen” mean?
A person's private, embarrassing, or shameful secrets and scandals, especially those involving family, relationships, or an organization's internal affairs.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person's private, embarrassing, or shameful secrets and scandals, especially those involving family, relationships, or an organization's internal affairs.
Refers specifically to personal or internal matters that are considered private, improper, or scandalous and that, if made public, would cause embarrassment or damage to reputations. The phrase originates from the idea of washing one's dirty laundry/linen in public.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
UK English strongly prefers "dirty linen". US English uses both "dirty linen" and the more common "dirty laundry". The idiom structure is the same.
Connotations
Identical in connotation: shame, privacy, scandal, and the inappropriateness of public revelation.
Frequency
"Dirty laundry" is significantly more frequent in American English. "Dirty linen" is the traditional form and remains common in UK English and formal/written contexts in the US.
Grammar
How to Use “dirty linen” in a Sentence
[Verb] + (possessive) + dirty linen + in publicair/wash + (one's) + dirty linenVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dirty linen” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They are always washing their dirty linen in public.
- The newspaper accused the minister of airing the party's dirty linen.
American English
- The celebrity couple aired all their dirty linen on a talk show.
- It's unprofessional to wash your dirty laundry in a staff meeting.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- The documentary was a dirty-linen exposé of the royal family's past.
- It turned into a dirty-linen feud played out in the press.
American English
- The memoir was just a dirty-laundry book full of accusations.
- The hearing devolved into a dirty-linen spectacle.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The board urged the CEO to settle the dispute internally to avoid washing the company's dirty linen in public."
Academic
Rare; might appear in sociology or media studies discussing privacy and scandal.
Everyday
"Their family feud became the talk of the town after they started airing their dirty linen on social media."
Technical
Not used.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “dirty linen”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “dirty linen”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dirty linen”
- Using it as a countable noun (e.g., 'a dirty linen'). It's almost always uncountable. Forgetting the possessive (e.g., 'wash dirty linen' instead of 'wash their dirty linen').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in meaning. 'Dirty linen' is the older, traditional form and is more common in British English. 'Dirty laundry' is more frequent in modern American English.
Rarely. It is almost always used as part of the idiom. Standalone use (e.g., 'They have a lot of dirty linen') is understood but highly idiomatic and implies the full phrase.
It is neutral to informal. It is common in journalism, political commentary, and everyday speech but might be replaced with more formal terms like 'airing private grievances' in very formal documents.
Trying to use it literally or as a countable noun. Remember it's an uncountable, metaphorical noun phrase almost exclusively tied to the verb 'wash' or 'air' and the context of 'in public'.
A person's private, embarrassing, or shameful secrets and scandals, especially those involving family, relationships, or an organization's internal affairs.
Dirty linen: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdɜː.ti ˈlɪn.ɪn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdɝː.t̬i ˈlɪn.ɪn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “wash/air one's dirty linen in public”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a family hanging their dirty underwear (linen) on a washing line in the middle of a public square. The embarrassing, private items are on display for all to see.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRIVATE SHAME IS DIRTY HOUSEHOLD CLOTHING / MAKING PRIVATE SHAME PUBLIC IS WASHING DIRTY CLOTHES IN PUBLIC.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary implication of 'washing your dirty linen in public'?