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

how to pronounce 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. 2023

How to use covert in a sentence

Set atop the dried-up bed of Groom Lake in the Nevada desert, the now-infamous spot made for good runways, and was remote enough to keep prying eyes off covert Cold War projects.
A CIA spyplane crashed outside Area 51 a half-century ago. This explorer found it.|Sarah Scoles|January 5, 2021|Popular-Science
Military dogs and their handlers play vital roles, particularly in covert operations.
This new harness lets military dogs parachute safely and with style|Christina Mackenzie|January 4, 2021|Popular-Science
While Project Veritas had previously disseminated covert recordings of CNN’s daily meeting, in this video O’Keefe himself could be seen dialing in to a private CNN call — apparently without the knowledge or consent of participants.
Project Veritas’s James O’Keefe crashed a private CNN teleconference. CNN says he may have broken the law.|Jeremy Barr|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
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
The Kulahu strike was part of a widening covert war being waged by Iran inside Pakistan.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
He and his followers have become really good at keeping their communications covert.
ISIS Keeps Getting Better at Dodging U.S. Spies|Shane Harris, Noah Shachtman|November 14, 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
She saw a covert smile on his wrinkled face, while his wife pushed her former inquiry.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
To-day they wore light covert coats over their canvas and rubber.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
A thick wood skirted the meadow-land in another direction; but they could not have gained that covert for the same reason.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3)|Charles Dickens
Fetherston raised his eyes and shot a covert glance at her—a glance of distinct suspicion.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
Their deeper recesses were given up to owls and bats, and nearer the entrance the prowling fox or jackal found a covert.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow

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

covert

OTHER WORDS FOR covert

Origin of covert

how to pronounce covert

OTHER WORDS FROM covert

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH covert

Words nearby covert

Words related to covert

How to use covert in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for covert

Derived forms of covert

Word Origin for covert