undercover

[ uhn-der-kuhv-er, uhn-der-kuhv- ]

adjective

1. working or done out of public sight; secret:

   an undercover investigation.

   Synonyms: hidden, clandestine, covert

2. engaged in spying or securing confidential information:

   an undercover agent.

undercover

/ ˌʌndəˈkʌvə /

adjective

1. done or acting in secret

   undercover operations

Word History and Origins

Origin of undercover¹

First recorded in 1850–55; under- + cover

Example Sentences

He gets a new lease on life when he’s tapped by a private investigator to go undercover at a San Francisco retirement home to dig into the theft of a missing heirloom.

From Los Angeles Times

The names of full-fledged undercover officers — who work deep-cover operations with outlaw biker gangs, terrorist groups or drug cartels — are kept out of department records and are known to only a handful of superiors.

From Los Angeles Times

While most of the anonymous officers suing the city claimed they were working undercover assignments at the time of the “inadvertent release,” according to Corea, they failed to specify the dates or durations of their assignments.

From Los Angeles Times

The latest filings mark a sharp shift in tone from the city, which sued in April 2023 seeking the “return of these inadvertently produced photos to protect the lives and work of these undercover officers.”

From Los Angeles Times

One said they had previously worked undercover investigating the Mexican Mafia, and claimed they learned last year about a potential threat against them and them and their wife.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• covert