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

SYNONYMS FOR covert

1 clandestine, surreptitious, furtive.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR covert

pronunciation note for covert

Covert, related to cover, has historically been pronounced

[kuhv-ert], /ˈkʌv ərt/, with

[uh], /ʌ/, the same stressed vowel found in cover. This

[uh] /ʌ/ 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

[oh-vurt, oh-vert], /oʊˈvɜrt, ˈoʊ vərt/, its semantic opposite, has developed the pronunciation

[koh-vert], /ˈkoʊ vərt/, 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

[oh] /oʊ/ sound, the historical

[kuhv-ert] /ˈkʌv ərt/ remains the more frequent pronunciation.

OTHER WORDS FROM covert

co·vert·ly, adverbco·vert·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH covert

covert , overt

Words nearby covert

covers, coversed sine, cover-shoulder, cover slip, cover story, covert, covert action, covert cloth, covert coat, cover text, cover the field

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for covert

When Bill Sampson pleads with Margo to contain her “paranoic outbursts” and “paranoic tantrums,” he’s channeling the sense that the American psyche is at risk of being torn apart by anxiety over covert invasion.
‘All About Eve’ at 70|Tom Joudrey|September 25, 2020|Washington Blade
The GRU, he says, is also constantly creating “digital” equivalents of traditionally “analog” dirty tricks, making covert operations that used to involve agents or officials tougher to track.
Spy Wars: The Hidden Foe America Must Defeat to Save Its Democracy|Charu Kasturi|September 13, 2020|Ozy
Make sure to state how many users leave at a certain touchpoint and do not covert further.
Guide: How to effectively incorporate customer journey mapping into your marketing strategy|Connie Benton|July 14, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The remote controlled flying craft has gone from covert military ops to a communal backyard hobby.
Why Every Home Needs a Drone This Holiday|Charlie Gilbert|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

PARIS, France—What could be more cynical than a covert operation?
The CIA’s Wrong: Arming Rebels Works|Christopher Dickey|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Syrian rebels have overtaken a joint Russian-Syrian secret facility that they claim was a covert intelligence collection base.
Syrian Rebels Seize Russian Spy Station Near Israeli Border|Josh Rogin, Eli Lake|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most importantly, foreign policy should not be reduced to a synonym for military action and covert operations.
After Bipartisan Bush-Obama Blundering, Let’s Try a Libertarian Foreign Policy|Nick Gillespie|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tyler agreed that the covert nature of the LGBT scene at BYU has had its upshots.
Mormon U. Forces Gays to Be Celibate|Emily Shire|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you had said or implied she was a lady, she would have shrunk as from a covert reflection on the quality of her work.
The Flight of the Shadow|George MacDonald
Anyway, the covert whisper had gone abroad and would not be laid.
Johnny Ludlow, Sixth Series|Mrs. Henry Wood
Mr. Hungerford, with another shrug and a covert smile, preceded him up the stairs.
Cap'n Dan's Daughter|Joseph C. Lincoln
And as Cosimo rose, stretched himself, and took off his coat, she stole a covert look at his cut hair again.
Gray youth|Oliver Onions
So, without stopping a moment, they dashed forward with might and main and burst forth from the covert into the highroad.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood|Howard Pyle

British Dictionary definitions for covert

covert

/ (ˈkʌvət) /

adjective

concealed or secretcovert jealousy

law Compare feme covert, discovert

noun

a shelter or disguise

a thicket or woodland providing shelter for game

short for covert cloth

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

a flock of coots

Derived forms of covert

covertly, adverbcovertness, noun

Word Origin for covert

C14: from Old French: covered, from covrir to cover

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

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

covert

adjective

noun

QUIZZES

BECOME A PRO CHEF WITH THIS EXQUISITE CUISINE QUIZ!

Origin of covert

SYNONYMS FOR covert

pronunciation note for covert

OTHER WORDS FROM covert

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH covert

Words nearby covert

Example sentences from the Web for covert

British Dictionary definitions for covert

adjective

noun

Derived forms of covert

Word Origin for covert

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

covert

adjective

noun

QUIZZES

BECOME A PRO CHEF WITH THIS EXQUISITE CUISINE QUIZ!

Origin of covert

SYNONYMS FOR covert

pronunciation note for covert

OTHER WORDS FROM covert

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH covert

Words nearby covert

Words related to covert

Example sentences from the Web for covert

British Dictionary definitions for covert

adjective

noun

Derived forms of covert

Word Origin for covert