adjective
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open to view; observable
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law open; deliberate. Criminal intent may be inferred from an overt act
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overt
1275–1325; Middle English < Old French, past participle of ouvrir to open < Vulgar Latin *ōperīre, for Latin aperīre
Explanation
Overt means open and done in plain sight. An overt demand for an increase in your allowance probably won't work; instead, try praising your parents' generosity and dropping hints about how high prices are these days. If you speak French, remember that overt is the same as the French ouvert "open." If you don't speak French, give up all hope of ever learning this word. Just kidding — forgive the overt attempt at humor. English speakers, here's your trick for remembering the difference between overt and covert: overt = "open"; covert = "covered."
Vocabulary lists containing overt
The Constitution of the United States
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Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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The Kite Runner
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But while they may not share many overt similarities, the strange duo align in their mutual slipperiness.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
“It’s like a love letter to Black queer culture, our intimacy. It’s so sexy without me and her having an overt love interest. It just feels so implied in this smart way.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Iran's foreign ministry condemned the attack on its oil tankers as "an overt threat to regional and international peace and security," saying that they "increase the dangers of tensions in the region".
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
But of the many second-generation, political pop efforts, he said Nash's recent recording stands out for being so "overt".
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The Oppenheimer case left Lawrence with a horror of overt dabbling in the security politics of the time.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
