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.
Joe Biden’s clandestine 2023 train trip to Ukraine involved a false public schedule, but it also included two journalists—and everyone else found out about it as soon as Biden arrived.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Most vessels are now using channels approved by Iran “or other clandestine routes, while traffic through the Omani waters has effectively dried up,” they wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
I'm sorry to disappoint any conspiracy theorists, but I can promise you there aren't any clandestine meetings between Fifa's executive committee and the referees.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Most ships used the channel approved by Iran or clandestine routes, while traffic through the corridor near Oman backed by the U.S. dried up, Kpler said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
One Saturday afternoon, following one of our clandestine tennis lessons, he gave me fifty rands and a bag full of tennis clothes: sweaters, shorts, socks, shirts, dresses and warm-ups.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
