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 noun

Did you know?

Psst!—if your first instinct, upon being asked what you’ve been up to, is to clam up, your querier may suspect you’ve been involved in some clandestine activities. Clandestine often substitutes for secret and covert, and it is commonly applied to actions that involve secrecy maintained for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose, as in "clandestine activities pursued under cover of night." It comes to English by way of Middle French, from the Latin word clandestinus, which is itself from the Latin adverb clam, meaning "secretly." Note that this clam is not the ancestor of the English word clam, despite how tightly sealed and thus secretive the bivalves may seem.

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

Examples of clandestine in a Sentence

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The illicitly mined resources, which included valuable minerals and precious stones, were smuggled out of the country through clandestine networks, bypassing official regulatory controls for the benefit of consortium members at the expense of the state coffers. Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025 For those hoping to wed immediately, whether to avoid family scrutiny or cover up an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, clandestine marriages performed by Anglican clergy offered a welcome alternative. Alexandra Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025 O’Neill’s focus is the clandestine CIA program known as MKUltra, which was launched in 1953 and lasted for 20 years. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025 These chemicals are then typically shipped to Mexico, where cartels like Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation manufacture it into fentanyl in clandestine labs. William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clandestine

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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Cite this Entry

“Clandestine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clandestine. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

clandestine

adjective
clan·​des·​tine klan-ˈdes-tən How to pronounce clandestine (audio)
: done in secret
a clandestine meeting
clandestinely adverb

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