Hidden
Hidden is an English adjective denoting something that is concealed, out of sight, or not readily apparent, often implying intentional obscurity or secrecy.[1] It serves as the past participle of the verb "hide," which refers to the action of placing or keeping an object, fact, or oneself from view or knowledge.[2] This dual role enables its application in both literal contexts, such as a hidden compartment, and figurative ones, including hidden talents or hidden costs, reflecting empirical patterns of usage in historical and modern corpora.[3] The word traces its roots to Middle English "hidde(n)," evolving from Old English "gehyden," the past participle of "hȳdan" (to hide), which stems from Proto-West Germanic "*hūdijan" and ultimately Proto-Indo-European bases linked to covering or skin.[4] By the 1540s, "hidden" had established itself as an adjectival form connoting the secret or occult, a semantic shift observable in literary records from that era onward.[5] Its persistence in contemporary English underscores a consistent causal link between human behaviors of evasion and linguistic description, uninfluenced by institutional reinterpretations.[6]Film and Television
Films
The Hidden (1987) is an American science fiction action horror film directed by Jack Sholder and written by Jim Kouf.[7] It stars Kyle MacLachlan as an FBI agent partnering with Los Angeles detective Michael Nouri to track an alien parasite that possesses humans, compelling them to engage in violent crime sprees including bank robberies and high-speed chases.[8] The film was produced by New Line Cinema and released theatrically on October 30, 1987.[7] It blends buddy-cop dynamics with body horror elements, earning praise for its energetic pacing and practical effects, though it achieved modest box office returns of approximately $5.3 million against a low budget.[8] A direct-to-video sequel, The Hidden II, followed in 1993. Caché (English title Hidden, 2005) is a French-Austrian psychological thriller directed by Michael Haneke.[9] Starring Daniel Auteuil as a television presenter and Juliette Binoche as his wife, the plot centers on an affluent Parisian couple receiving anonymous surveillance videotapes that expose buried family secrets tied to France's colonial history in Algeria.[10] Premiering at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival on May 12, where Haneke won the Best Director award, the film explores themes of guilt, voyeurism, and repressed trauma through long takes and ambiguous narrative resolution.[9] It grossed over $17 million worldwide and holds critical acclaim for its tense atmosphere and social commentary, with an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 133 reviews.[10] Hidden (2015) is an American post-apocalyptic survival thriller written and directed by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer in their feature debut.[11] The story follows a family—portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård, Andrea Riseborough, and Emily Alyn Lind—hiding in a bomb shelter from sound-sensitive subterranean creatures amid a viral outbreak that has decimated surface society.[11] Released on September 15, 2015, by Scream Factory, the film emphasizes claustrophobic tension and familial bonds over action, drawing comparisons to 10 Cloverfield Lane for its confined setting.[11] It received mixed reviews, with a 6.4/10 average on IMDb from over 28,000 users, praised for strong performances but critiqued for pacing issues in its 84-minute runtime.[11]Television Productions
Hidden (Welsh: Craith) is a Welsh-language crime drama television series created by Mark Andrew and Ed Talfan, first broadcast on S4C in 2018.[12] The English-dubbed version aired on BBC Four, with the series spanning three seasons from 2018 to 2022, totaling 20 episodes.[13] Set in North Wales, it follows Detective Inspector Cadi John (Sian Reese-Williams) and DS Owen Vaughan (Sofie Gråbøl) as they investigate abductions and murders linked to family secrets and local trauma, beginning with the discovery of a woman's body missing since 2011.[12] Produced by Severn Screen for S4C and BBC Cymru Wales, the show received praise for its atmospheric portrayal of Welsh landscapes and slow-burn narrative, earning an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season based on six reviews.[14] It explores themes of hidden abuse and community complicity without sensationalism, drawing from real regional social dynamics.[15] Another British production titled Hidden is a 2011 four-part miniseries starring Philip Glenister as private investigator Harry Vincent.[16] Aired on BBC One, the plot centers on Vincent being hired by lawyer Gina Hawkes (Thekla Reuten) to locate a witness, which unearths secrets surrounding his brother's unsolved death from decades prior, intertwining personal loss with political intrigue.[16] Produced by Origin Pictures for BBC Northern Ireland, it holds a 6.7/10 rating on IMDb from over 1,200 user votes, noted for its character-driven tension but criticized for pacing inconsistencies.[16] The series concludes with resolutions to the central mysteries, emphasizing individual agency over systemic conspiracy.[16]Literature
Books and Novels
"Among the Hidden" (1998) by Margaret Peterson Haddix is the inaugural novel in the Shadow Children series, a young adult dystopian work depicting a future society enforcing a two-child policy, where protagonist Luke Garner, an illegal third child, lives concealed from authorities in his family's attic. The narrative explores themes of secrecy, rebellion, and population control, spanning 153 pages and garnering acclaim for its suspenseful portrayal of forbidden existence. "Hidden" (2011) by Helen Frost, a verse novel for young readers, recounts the intersecting fates of two eight-year-old girls: Wren, abducted when her father's stolen minivan contains Darra hidden in the back. Structured in dual poetic perspectives, the 144-page story examines memory, guilt, and unlikely bonds, earning recognition as an ALA Notable Children's Book and CCBC Choice for its innovative form and emotional depth.[17][18] "Hidden Pictures" (2022) by Jason Rekulak is a psychological thriller novel centering on recovering addict Mallory Quinn, hired as a nanny whose charge, five-year-old Teddy, produces crayon drawings unveiling a hidden child's murder from decades prior. The 400-page work blends supernatural elements with mystery, praised for its twisty revelations and atmospheric tension, though some critiques note overt thematic messaging.[19] "The Hidden Book" (2024) by Kirsty Manning, a historical fiction novel, intertwines World War II narratives: in 1940s Croatia, Jewish publisher Mateo creates a secret sixth volume of a book series, concealed with local aid until war's end, paralleled by modern Australian researcher Imogen's quest uncovering family ties to these events. Spanning dual timelines, the story highlights cultural preservation amid genocide, drawing on verified historical contexts of Yugoslav publishing under Nazi occupation.[20][21]Music
Albums
Hidden is the second studio album by British experimental rock band These New Puritans, released on 18 January 2010 by Angular Recording Corporation.[22] The record incorporates unconventional instrumentation, including Japanese taiko drums, a children's choir, and orchestral elements, expanding beyond the band's earlier post-punk style into a broader experimental framework.[23] Critics praised its ambitious structure and sonic innovation, with Pitchfork describing it as a "darkly experimental" work that "tears up [the band's] own rulebook."[23] The album comprises 11 tracks, running 42 minutes and 59 seconds, and peaked at number 21 on the UK Indie Albums Chart.[24] Hidden is also the title of the tenth studio album by Italian psychedelic stoner/doom metal band Ufomammut, released on 17 May 2024 through Neurot Recordings and Supernatural Cat.[25] Featuring six tracks, the album emphasizes intensified heaviness and hypnotic riffs, marking a compositional shift toward denser sludge and doom elements while exploring themes of space, time, and sonic expanses.[26] It includes the band's new drummer Levre, contributing to a rawer production compared to prior releases.[25] Reviews highlighted its "monstrously heavy" psych doom qualities, positioning it as a strong entry in the band's discography.[27]Songs and Tracks
"Hidden" is a contemporary Christian worship song by the American collective United Pursuit, featuring lead vocals by Will Reagan, released on their live album Lent on March 6, 2015.[28] The track, lasting approximately 6 minutes, lyrically explores themes of spiritual intimacy and refuge in divine presence, with key lines including "Hidden in the shadow of Your hand / Hidden in the secret place."[28] It gained significant traction through live recordings and online sharing, amassing over 22 million YouTube views by 2023 for its official video.[29] An instrumental track titled "Hidden" appears on Scottish composer Craig Armstrong's 2004 album The Colour of My Love, characterized by its ambient, orchestral style typical of Armstrong's film scoring work, including contributions to soundtracks like Romeo + Juliet (1996).[30] The piece, clocking in at around 4 minutes, employs piano and strings to evoke introspection, aligning with Armstrong's reputation for emotive, minimalist compositions.[30] Other lesser-known tracks bearing the title include "Hidden" by Ardie Son from 2023, an indie release blending electronic and acoustic elements, but these lack the broader recognition or streaming metrics of the aforementioned examples.[31]People
Individuals with Surname Hidden
Sir Anthony Hidden (7 March 1936 – 19 February 2016) was a British barrister and High Court judge appointed in 1989, renowned for leading the public inquiry into the Clapham Junction rail crash on 12 December 1988, which killed 35 people and injured over 400 due to a wiring error causing signal failure.[32] His 1989 report criticized British Rail's management for systemic safety lapses, including inadequate testing and supervision, leading to recommendations for improved signaling standards and organizational reforms implemented thereafter.[33] Hidden, educated at Reigate Grammar School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge, practiced at the Bar from 1961, specializing in personal injury and professional negligence cases before his judicial career.[34] Geneviève Hidden (1926 – 27 June 2016) was a French surgeon and professor who pioneered work in lymphology, particularly demonstrating the viability of microsurgical lymph node transplantation for treating postmastectomy lymphedema, with long-term studies showing significant volume reduction in affected limbs for many patients.[35] Her research emphasized autologous transfers to minimize rejection risks, contributing to advancements in reconstructive techniques for cancer survivors.[36] Hidden's career focused on anatomical and surgical innovations in lymphatic system repair, influencing European protocols for edema management. George Hidden (c. 1527 – 1581 or later), also recorded as George Eden, served as a member of the Parliament of England for Great Bedwyn during the 1558 session under Queen Mary I, representing Berkshire interests tied to local landholdings near Hungerford.[37] Of modest gentry origins, he held minor administrative roles in the region, with family estates documented in Hungerford parish records; his parliamentary service aligned with conservative Catholic factions amid Elizabethan religious shifts, though no major legislative contributions are noted.[38] Hidden's lineage traces to habitational naming from Hidden manor in Berkshire, reflecting early modern English socioeconomic patterns.[37]Technology and Other Uses
Computing Concepts
In file systems, hidden files and directories are objects configured to be excluded from standard directory listings, typically to protect configuration or system files from unintended user alteration. These are implemented via attributes such as the "hidden" flag in Windows NTFS or a leading dot (.) prefix in Unix-like systems like Linux and macOS, rendering them invisible unless explicitly enabled for viewing through tools like File Explorer's View settings or thels -a command.[39][40]
In artificial neural networks, hidden layers consist of intermediate layers of nodes positioned between the input and output layers, performing nonlinear transformations on data to enable complex pattern recognition and feature extraction. Each hidden layer processes inputs from the preceding layer via weighted connections and activation functions, such as ReLU or sigmoid, allowing networks to approximate arbitrary functions as depth increases, though excessive layers risk overfitting without regularization techniques like dropout.[41][42]
Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are probabilistic frameworks modeling sequences of observable events generated by underlying unobservable (hidden) states that transition according to Markov properties, with emissions from each state following a probability distribution. Formally, an HMM is defined by states S = \{s_1, \dots, s_N\}, transition probabilities A = [a_{ij}] where a_{ij} = P(q_{t+1}=s_j | q_t = s_i), emission probabilities B = [b_j(o)] where b_j(o) = P(O_t = o | q_t = s_j), and initial state probabilities \pi; algorithms like Viterbi for state decoding and Baum-Welch for parameter estimation enable applications in speech recognition and bioinformatics sequence analysis.[43][44]
In web development, hidden form fields are HTML <input type="hidden"> elements that transmit data to servers upon form submission without user visibility or interaction, commonly used to pass session identifiers, timestamps, or pre-filled values like database keys. The value attribute sets the data, e.g., <input type="hidden" name="user_id" value="123">, which is included in POST or GET requests but requires server-side validation to prevent tampering, as client-side modifications are possible via browser tools.[45][46]
Information hiding, a foundational principle in software engineering, encapsulates implementation details within modules to restrict external access, promoting modularity and maintainability by exposing only necessary interfaces through abstractions like private variables in languages such as C++ or Java. This reduces coupling between components, as changes to hidden internals do not affect dependent code, contrasting with global visibility that increases fragility; it underpins object-oriented paradigms without implying security but focusing on design stability.[47][48]