clandestine en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Latin clandestīnus (“secret, concealed”); compare French clandestin.
Meanings
-
Done or kept in secret, sometimes to conceal an illicit or improper purpose.
In my imagination, all work place encounters between men and women result in clandestine sex.
2004, Penny Arcade:As I stand at the edge of existence; nameless shores of infinity. Perpetual unbirth unraveling distance, clandestine truths unveiled.
2003, “Fugue”, in Trivium (music), Ember To Inferno:Monimia, who while she yielded to his earnest entreaties had always felt, from the natural rectitude of her understanding, the impropriety of their clandestine correspondence, would, he feared, be more than ever sensible of her indiscretion, when she found that a servant was entrusted with it...
1793, Charlotte Smith, chapter 1, in The Old Manor House, volume 3:And (Wouter) Basson (who had worked on South Africa's clandestine bioweapons program) was there, too.
2009 March 29, Olivia Ward, “The shadowy world of bioweapons”, in Toronto Star, archived from the original on 27 Dec 2011:clandestine military operations
Bodies were always a nuisance -- even the small guinea-pig bodies from the slight clandestine experiments in West’s room at the boarding-house.
1922, H. P. Lovecraft, Herbert West: Reanimator:The only diversions I recall were a pair of Avocets flying over, and a young lady who regularly each afternoon furtively crept into the dunes [...] and crouched down for a clandestine wee!
1983, Bill Oddie, Gone Birding, London: Methuen, page 128:Wildeve's clandestine plan with her was to take a little gravel in his hand and hold it to the crevice at the top of the window shutter, which was on the outside, so that it should fall with a gentle rustle, resembling that of a mouse, between shutter and glass.
1878, Thomas Hardy, chapter 11, in The Return of the Native:Lady Bullingdon could not, of course, countenance such an arrangement for a moment, and the two unhappy persons escaped for a clandestine marriage.
1912, G. K. Chesterton, chapter 9, in Manalive:2005 — Stewart Lee, 90's Comedian DVD And I don't want anyone to think I dislike Catholicism because I don't. It's actually my favourite form of clandestine global evil.
Whether the torments of absence were softened by a clandestine correspondence, let us not inquire. Mr. and Mrs. Morland never did.
1818, Jane Austen, chapter 31, in Northanger Abbey:Probably, the Master-at-arms' clandestine persecution of Billy was started to try the temper of the man...
1924, Herman Melville, chapter 13, in Billy Budd:
- (of a person or lodge) Not recognized as a regular member.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more clandestine | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most clandestine | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
clandestineness · clandestinity · clandestinely · nonclandestine
Synonyms
confidential · backstairs · covert · backroom · on the sly · inconspicuous · surreptitious · hush-hush · dern · furtive · disguised · under wraps · unperceived · stealthy · secret · sly · huggermugger · concealed · deep-laid · underground · stealth · on the down-low · off-the-books · clandestine · sub rosa · secretive · under the radar · mousy · slinky · abstruse · under-the-table · obfuscated · incognito · low profile · secret · secretive · cloak-and-dagger · furtive · undercover · lurky · behind the scenes · covert · hush-hush · undercover · lurksome · catlike · sneaky
Translations (62)
la clandestīnus (done or kept in secret) · cy dirgel (done or kept in secret) · is leynilegur (done or kept in secret) · pl pokątny (done or kept in secret) · ca clandestí (done or kept in secret) · cmn 暗中的 (done or kept in secret) · pl tajny (done or kept in secret) · sh tajan (done or kept in secret) · hu illegális (done or kept in secret) · da lønlig (done or kept in secret) · fi salainen (done or kept in secret) · ja 秘密の (done or kept in secret) · sh skrìven (done or kept in secret) · da skjult (done or kept in secret) · pl ukryty (done or kept in secret) · cmn 地下的 (done or kept in secret) · pt clandestino (done or kept in secret) · id klandestin (done or kept in secret) · cmn 秘密的 (done or kept in secret) · de geheim (done or kept in secret) · vi bí mật (done or kept in secret) · pdt heemlich (done or kept in secret) · grc λαθραῖος (done or kept in secret) · nl clandestien (done or kept in secret) · el κρυφός (done or kept in secret) · nl geheim (done or kept in secret) · da hemmelig (done or kept in secret) · az məxfi (done or kept in secret) · bg та́ен (done or kept in secret) · ru подпо́льный (done or kept in secret) · hu titkos (done or kept in secret) · bg нелега́лен (done or kept in secret) · fr clandestin (done or kept in secret) · ru нелега́льный (done or kept in secret) · de klandestin (done or kept in secret) · az gizli (done or kept in secret) · sh скрѝвен (done or kept in secret) · hu tilalmas (done or kept in secret) · el μυστικός (done or kept in secret) · ar سري (done or kept in secret) · el λαθραίος (done or kept in secret) · pl konspiracyjny (done or kept in secret) · hu rejtett (done or kept in secret) · kmr nepenî (done or kept in secret) · de heimlich (done or kept in secret) · ru та́йный (done or kept in secret) · kmr nehênî (done or kept in secret) · nl heimelijk (done or kept in secret) · id diam-diam (done or kept in secret) · sa रहस्य (done or kept in secret) · es clandestino (done or kept in secret) · it clandestino (done or kept in secret) · ko 은밀(隱密)하다 (done or kept in secret) · ru секре́тный (done or kept in secret) · ro clandestin (done or kept in secret) · la furtīvus (done or kept in secret) · cs utajovaný (done or kept in secret) · de klammheimlich (done or kept in secret) · cs utajený (done or kept in secret) · ja 不法の (done or kept in secret) · cs tajný (done or kept in secret) · kmr dizîkî (done or kept in secret)