clandestine
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
But the physical barrier won't be enough to curb clandestine activities, Scott said.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
In February 2023, he took a “risky, physically demanding, clandestine trip” to war-torn Ukraine—“further evidence that in spite of his age he was still very much up to the job.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The EFL's commission said it was "deplorable" of the club to have used junior staff members to "conduct the clandestine observations".
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
In the past, he said, “the CIA was trying to be clandestine in their operations and kind of remain in the background, in the shadows.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
I connected the two lines and the caller immediately began making plans for the rendezvous of two regiments, a clandestine operation to outskirt the German units near the north of France.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
