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clandestine

adjective

clan·​des·​tine klan-ˈde-stən How to pronounce clandestine (audio)
 also  -ˌstīn or -ˌstēn,
 or  ˈklan-də-
: marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy : surreptitious
a clandestine love affair
clandestinely adverb
clandestineness noun
clandestinity
ˌklan-də-ˈsti-nə-tē How to pronounce clandestine (audio)
-de-ˈsti-
noun

Did you know?

In 1658, the English poet John Milton wrote of "clandestine Hostility cover'd over with the name of Peace." Today, clandestine is used in much the same way. The word often substitutes for secret and covert, and it is commonly applied to actions that involve secrecy maintained for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose. It comes to English by way of Middle French, from Latin clandestinus, which is itself from Latin clam, meaning "secretly."

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for clandestine

secret, covert, stealthy, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded mean done without attracting observation.

secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Example Sentences

The clandestine meetings, the passing back and forth of messages between Lodge and the plotters, the coaxing along of the generals, all had the emotional lift of a strong amphetamine. Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988 The CIA's great innovation has been to concentrate in peacetime on 'covert action'—that is, the use of clandestine means to challenge policies and regimes in other countries. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Cycles of American History, 1986 And Pym was in London for a conference—no, he wasn't, he was attending a three-day course on the latest methods of clandestine communication in a beastly little training house off Smith Square. John le Carré, A Perfect Spy, 1986 I took a clandestine peek at the price tag on the diamond necklace.
Recent Examples on the Web The divide over the Iran nuclear deal runs roughly between the Israel Defense Forces and its intelligence wing, and the Mossad, the spy agency responsible for collection of intelligence and clandestine operations outside the country’s borders. New York Times, 14 July 2022 The parking lot was nearly empty, and if the encounter felt clandestine, their thoughtfulness was out in the open. Thomas Curwenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2022 European officials and diplomats said the two countries are prepared for hybrid or clandestine attacks. Emily Rauhala And Michael Birnbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 18 May 2022 Research showed Damen was baptized in 1815 in a clandestine church because being Catholic in Holland at the time was something people didn’t admit to out in the open, Skerrett said. Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 The list also underscores what Justice Department officials have described as concerns that the highly sensitive information, including some derived from clandestine human-intelligence sources, was commingled with other items and insecurely stored. Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 The electricity of the unknown and the clandestine feel of an early-morning launch were gloriously adolescent. Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 28 Aug. 2022 A few days later, clandestine Ukrainian fighters operating behind enemy lines hit several sites in the occupied territory that Russia had thought were safe, including ammunition depots and supply lines. Eric Schmitt, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2022 Markings indicated that some of the documents included information that had come from clandestine human sources and electronic eavesdropping—the most sensitive methods used by American intelligence agencies to collect information. David Rohde, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French clandestin, from Latin clandestinus, from clam secretly; akin to Latin celare to hide — more at hell

First Known Use

circa 1528, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clandestine was circa 1528

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