under-the-counter

[ uhn-der-th uh-koun-ter ]

/ ˈʌn dər ðəˈkaʊn tər /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR under-the-counter ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

(of merchandise) sold clandestinely.

illegal; unauthorized: under-the-counter payments.

Nearby words

under wraps, under-, under-achiever, under-employed, under-employment, under-the-counter, under-the-table, underachieve, underachiever, underact, underactive

Origin of under-the-counter

First recorded in 1945–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for under-the-counter

“Because of a few who make themselves rich from politics and under-the-counter money, all of us have to pay,” she blogged.
Italy’s Politicians Revealed by P.M. as Highest Paid in Europe|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST