overt

adjective

ō-ˈvərt  ˈō-(ˌ)vərt 

: open to view : manifest

overt hostility

overt symptoms of the disease

overt discrimination

both overt and covert military action

overtness noun

Examples of overt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ableism is the everyday prejudice — sometimes subtle, sometimes overt — that treats people with disabilities as inconvenient, less competent, or less deserving of respect and opportunity. — Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026

Customers are increasingly drawn to exceptional design and quality over overt branding. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 29 June 2026

Yoichi Kamakari’s relaxed lensing drinks in the cool, dry landscape without making an overt spectacle of it, finding as much interest in a deep ochre towel hanging out to dry outside as in the hazy, smoke-blue mountains beyond. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 June 2026

Their rivals were a candid, impudent pair, the schoolgirlish Shakira and a throaty American bottle-service girl named Toni, both incapable of conniving their way into romance, prone to heartbreak, and swiftly ostracized for their overt judgment of other islanders. — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from past participle of ovrir to open, from Vulgar Latin *operire, alteration of Latin aperire

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overt

• alert
• assert
• avert
• dessert
• divert
• evert
• exert
• inert
• insert
• invert
• nightshirt
• revert

Kids Definition

overt

adjective

ō-ˈvərt  ˈō-(ˌ)vərt 

: open to view : not secret

overt hostility

overtly adverb

overtness noun

Medical Definition

overt

adjective

ō-ˈvərt, ˈō-ˌvərt also ˈō-vərt

: open to view : readily perceived

overt behavior

overtly adverb