clandestine
/klænˈdɛst(a)ɪn/ adjective
- adjective Done or kept in secret, sometimes to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. “clandestine military operations”
- adjective (Freemasonry, of a person or lodge) Not recognized as a regular member.
Synonyms
covert furtive hush-hush secret secretive undercover abstruse behind the scenes catlike backroom backstairs stealth cloak-and-dagger concealed confidential deep-laid dern disguised huggermugger inconspicuous hole-and-corner hugger-mugger surreptitious underground
Etymology
From Latin clandestīnus (“secret, concealed”); compare French clandestin.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Conducted with secrecy; withdrawn from public notice, usually for an evil purpose; kept secret; hidden; private; underhand; as, a clandestine marriage. Locke.
Etymology [L. clandestinus, fr. clam secretly; akin to celare, E. conceal: cf. F. clandestin.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “clandestine”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details