clandestine

American  

[klan-des-tin] / klænˈdɛs tɪn /

adjective

1. characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception; private or surreptitious.

   Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years.

   Synonyms:

   illicit, confidential, underhand, hidden

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clandestine British  

/ klænˈdɛstɪn /

adjective

1. secret and concealed, often for illicit reasons; furtive

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Other Word Forms

• clandestinely adverb
• clandestineness noun
• clandestinity noun
• unclandestinely adverb

Etymology

Origin of clandestine

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin clandestīnus, from clamde, clande (unrecorded) (variant of clam “secretly” + -de, adverb particle) + -stīnus (probably after intestīnus “internal”; intestine )

Example Sentences

At the end of Friday's episode, the traitors had been given the opportunity to unmask the secret traitor if they completed a clandestine task.

From BBC

“I had not actually seen Rasoulof’s film because when we make films clandestinely, we don’t talk about them, even with our close friends,” he explains.

From Los Angeles Times

On Dec. 15, the EU sanctioned two rival oil traders it accused of playing a major role in the clandestine Russian energy market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bush apparently decided at some unspecified point that the intelligence agencies needed a “watcher” and thus established The Orphanage: analysts downstairs, “mission control” upstairs, the equivalent of an internal-affairs bureau for the clandestine services.

From The Wall Street Journal

Officials have said that Lopez helped trick Zambada into boarding the plane, having led him to believe he was travelling to northern Mexico to look at prospective properties for clandestine airstrips.

From BBC

Related Words

• covert
• fraudulent
• furtive
• hidden
• hush-hush
• illicit
• surreptitious
• underground