Gloss · Words · Clandestine

clandestine

klænˈdɛstɪnadjective

What does clandestine mean?

Kept secret, usually because it is not allowed.

Clandestine, six ways

PlainKept secret, usually because it is not allowed.
ADHDSecret. Hidden. Would be trouble if known.
Gen ZTop secret, often in a slightly dramatic way. Clandestine meetings, clandestine snacks.
MetaphorA door behind the bookcase.
FormalKept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit.
Like I’m 5Something done in secret because people are not supposed to know. That’s clandestine.

How to pronounce clandestine

klan-DES-tin/klænˈdɛstɪn/

Clandestine in a sentence

They held clandestine meetings in the cellar.
They exchanged clandestine notes in the library.
The clandestine program ran for a decade.

Synonyms for clandestine

secretPlainer; clandestine implies it is forbidden.
covertHidden, often official.
surreptitiousOne sly act, done unseen.

Clandestine vs surreptitious: Clandestine is secret by design. Surreptitious is sneaky in the moment. The difference, in plain English.

Where clandestine comes from

Latin. Clandestinus, from clam, secretly.

Good to know

Clandestine suits organized secrecy: meetings, affairs, operations. For a single sly glance, surreptitious fits better.

Clandestine meaning, on a Gloss card: Kept secret, usually because it is not allowed.

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Words like clandestine

surreptitious · ubiquitous · epiphany · conundrum · circumspect · languid · All 110 words

In: Words for ideas · SAT words