covert

American  

[koh-vert, kuhv-ert, kuhv-ert, koh-vert] / ˈkoʊ vərt, ˈkʌv ərt, ˈkʌv ərt, ˈkoʊ vərt /

adjective

1. concealed or disguised; secret: covert behavior.

   covert intelligence operations;

   covert behavior.

   Synonyms:

   furtive, surreptitious, clandestine

2. covered; sheltered.

3. Law. (of a wife) under the protection of one's husband.

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noun

1. a covering; cover.

2. a shelter or hiding place.

3. concealment or disguise.

4. Hunting. a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game.

5. Also called tectrix.  Ornithology. one of the small feathers that cover the bases of the large feathers of the wings and tail.

6. covert cloth.

covert British  

/ ˈkʌvət /

adjective

1. concealed or secret

   covert jealousy

2. law Compare feme covert discovert

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noun

1. a shelter or disguise

2. a thicket or woodland providing shelter for game

3. short for covert cloth

4. ornithol any of the small feathers on the wings and tail of a bird that surround the bases of the larger feathers

5. a flock of coots

Pronunciation

Covert, related to cover, has historically been pronounced , with , the same stressed vowel found in cover. This is the traditional and unchallenged vowel in many other English words spelled with stressed o followed by v, voiced th, or a nasal in the same syllable, words of high frequency like love and above, mother and other, some and honey. The adjective covert, however, by analogy with overt , its semantic opposite, has developed the pronunciation , perhaps because of the frequent coupling of the two terms in the news media. This is now the more common pronunciation for the adjective in American English, though not in British English, which retains the historical pronunciation. For the noun senses, less likely to appear in the news or to be contrasted with overt and its sound, the historical remains the more frequent pronunciation.

Other Word Forms

• covertly
  adverb
• covertness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of covert

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin coopertus, past participle of cooperīre “to cover completely”; see cover

Explanation

Covert means secret or hidden. Soldiers might take part in a covert mission to infiltrate an enemy camp — and you might take part in a covert mission to steal your brother's leftover Halloween candy. Covert is the opposite of overt, which means obvious, or in full view. Covert things are hidden, private, or stealthy. It comes from the Old French covert, or "covered." A covert bag of chips you've snuck into the movie theater might literally be covered, hidden under your coat, while a covert plan to throw your dad a surprise party is just a secret.

Example Sentences

They were not exposing covert agents or leaking military plans.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

Three Russian submarines conducted a "covert" operation over cables and pipelines in waters north of the UK, Defence Secretary John Healey said.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

When he was discovered living in a Pakistani town—where he was killed in a covert U.S. mission in 2011—Washington’s opinion of Islamabad collapsed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Even though it was a covert Special Forces operation, Panetta said, he personally briefed key congressional leaders before Bin Laden’s killing took place.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

He became a partner of spymaster George Washington by serving as a covert operations manager.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

Related Words

• hidden
• surreptitious
• undercover