clandestine
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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”; see intestine)
Explanation
Use the adjective clandestine to describe something that is done in secret, like your clandestine attempts to steal your brother's Halloween candy. Clandestine, an adjective imported from Latin, describes a secret, usually illegal activity. Often these things have to do with political and spy organizations. The CIA might run a clandestine operation to infiltrate terrorist organizations. Words with similar meanings include secret; covert, used especially for military matters; undercover, common in espionage; and surreptitious which emphasizes a person's efforts to keep something secret.
Vocabulary lists containing clandestine
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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.
Theo joins the Royal Air Force as a pilot; Tessa is recruited for clandestine work in occupied France.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
The first trial over his death was annulled last year following revelations that one of the judges took part in a clandestine documentary about the case.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Others point out the long — but clandestine — history of the CIA in Mexico, dating back to the Cold War.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
They set up clandestine camera monitoring from a public location.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
And his conduct in providing clandestine instructions to Adams’s cabinet undermined the constitutional authority of the executive branch in ways that would have landed him in jail in modern times.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions 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.
