clandestine

[ klan-des-tin ]

/ klænˈdɛs tɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR clandestine ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception; private or surreptitious: Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years.

Nearby words

Origin of clandestine

1560–70; < Latin clandestīnus, equivalent to *clande, *clamde, variant of clam secretly (with -de adv. particle) + -stīnus, probably after intestīnus internal; see intestine

SYNONYMS FOR clandestine

hidden, underhand, confidential, illicit.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR clandestine ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsclan·des·tine·ly, adverbclan·des·tine·ness, clan·des·tin·i·ty, nounun·clan·des·tine·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for clandestine

Never mind the huge buildup of clandestine operatives and secret warriors since 9/11.
ISIS Fight Has a Spy Shortage, Intel Chair Says|Kimberly Dozier|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Undeterred by the snub in November, and denied a visa to Italy, Agca made plans for clandestine travel to Vatican City.
Pope-Shooter Ali Agca’s Very Weird Vatican Visit|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
People there remember rather fondly the clandestine airdrops by the CIA during the 1980s.
China’s Nicaragua Canal Could Spark a New Central America Revolution|Nina Lakhani|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Such a clandestine and pathological way of drinking increases the chances of becoming an alcoholic exponentially,” says Alireza.
Iran’s Drinking Problem|IranWire|August 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Panahi was arrested by the Islamic Republic police in 2009 during the clandestine shooting of a film without a government permit.
Jafar Panahi: Filmmaking Ban Is My Iranian Prison|Jamsheed Akrami|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the top of a knoll in a clandestine group of trees they found "Viewcrest Inn."
We Can't Have Everything|Rupert Hughes
To forget his treachery, he enters into a clandestine relationship with an actress of the town.
The Social Significance of the Modern Drama|Emma Goldman
There might have been, but had not been, a clandestine marriage.
Lady Anna|Anthony Trollope
And then Rachel told all the story of her clandestine engagement, as the reader already knows it, without any reservations.
A Mere Chance, Vol. 2 of 3|Ada Cambridge
Yes, but he does not know that Captain Butler has presumed—has dared to press a clandestine suit with you!
The Reckoning|Robert W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for clandestine

clandestine

/ (klænˈdɛstɪn) /

adjective

secret and concealed, often for illicit reasons; furtive

Derived Formsclandestinely, adverbclandestineness, noun

Word Origin for clandestine

C16: from Latin clandestīnus, from clam secretly; related to Latin celāre to hide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for clandestine

clandestine

adj.

1560s, from Latin clandestinus "secret, hidden," from clam "secretly," from adverbial derivative of base of celare "to hide" (see cell), perhaps on model of intestinus "internal." Related: Clandestinely. As a noun form, there is awkward clandestinity (clandestineness apparently being a dictionary word).