under-the-counter
[uhn-der-th uh-koun-ter]
- (of merchandise) sold clandestinely.
- illegal; unauthorized: under-the-counter payments.
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Origin of under-the-counter
First recorded in 1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
illegitimate, unauthorized, illegal, lawless, improper, illicit, nefarious, prohibited, wrongful, contraband, pirated, covert, fraudulent, surreptitious, underground, furtive, hush-hush, hidden, bootlegged, bannedExamples from the Web for under-the-counter
Contemporary Examples
“Because of a few who make themselves rich from politics and under-the-counter money, all of us have to pay,” she blogged.
