In a secluded, private place that is hidden from the knowledge of the public. Usually refers to deals and policies made in business and politics, and often implies a degree of questionable ethics. What we're discovering now is that the heads of the studios decided in a smoke-filled room nearly 60 years ago to implement policies that would ensure no competitors would intrude on their lucrative market. People are becoming increasingly frustrated that our entire lives are dictated by a powerful few in smoke-filled rooms in Washington.