overt
UK /ə(ʊ)ˈvɜːt/ · US /oʊˈvɚt/ adjective, noun
Forms overts
- adjective Open and not concealed or secret.
- adjective (heraldry) Disclosed.
- noun (Scientology) An action or condition said to be detrimental to one’s own survival and thus unethical; the consciousness of such behaviour.
Synonyms
Antonyms
covert hidden nonovert abstruse behind the scenes catlike backroom backstairs stealth clandestine cloak-and-dagger concealed
Etymology
From Middle English overt, uverte (“open, uncovered; unfastened; accessible, unobstructed; clear, manifest”), from Anglo-Norman overt, Middle French ouvert, Old French overt, ouvert, uvert (“opened”) (modern French ouvert), past participle of Anglo-Norman, Old French ovrir, ouvrir, uvrir (“to open”), from Late Latin operire, variant of Latin aperīre (“to open”), from aperiō (“to open, uncover”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away; from”) + *h₂wer- (“to cover, shut”). The English word is a doublet of apert and ouvert.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Open to view; public; apparent; manifest.
- adjective Not covert; open; public; manifest; as, an overt act of treason. Macaulay.
Etymology [OF. overt, F. ouvert, p. p. of OF. ovrir, F. ouvrir, to open, of uncertain origin; cf. It. aprire, OIt. also oprire, L. aperire to open, operire to cover, deoperire to uncover. Perch. from L. aperire influenced by F. couvrir to cover. Cf. Aperient, Cover.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “overt”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details