covert

adjective co·vert \ ˈkō-(ˌ)vərt , kō-ˈvərt ; ˈkə-vərt \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: covert in a Sentence

Definition of covert

1 : not openly shown, engaged in, or avowed : veiled

a covert alliance

a covert military operation

2 : covered over : sheltered

covert places in the woods

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covertly

adverb

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covertness

noun

See covert defined for English-language learners

See covert defined for kids

Examples of covert in a Sentence

He has taken part in a number of covert military operations.
spy agencies taking covert action

Recent Examples of covert from the Web

There will be those among your staff who will question whether your efforts toward DEI are a covert form of reverse discrimination.

— marinel de jesus, Outside Online, "Outdoor Companies: Get Smart About Hiring," 8 June 2018
Mausner allegedly traveled to Kansas City on May 25 after a series of online and text conversations beginning Jan. 31 with an FBI online covert employee posing as the mother of two.

— katie bernard, kansascity, "Colorado man accused of seeking sex with 7-year-old girl in Kansas City ordered held," 5 June 2018
Nothing official has been confirmed by either the 21-year-old basketball player or the 22-year-old model, but the pair has apparently been spending some covert alone time together as of late.

— megan decker, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kendall Jenner Is Reportedly Dating Another Basketball Player," 30 May 2018
Amazingly they too may have picked up a covert way to spread.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Do Mama Stick Insects Get Eaten to Transport Their Eggs?," 30 May 2018
More often discrimination is covert or the unintended consequence of unconscious biases.

— The Economist, "Many countries suffer from shrinking working-age populations," 5 May 2018
Aspects of conversion therapy now are more covert or understated, said Leibowitz, who co-chairs a committee on LGBT issues for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

— susan miller, USA TODAY, "'Being LGBTQ is not an illness': Record number of states banning conversion therapy," 17 Apr. 2018
Championing inclusion is not about embracing mindless quotas or a covert liberal political agenda.

— helen torley, STAT, "Diversity in the biopharma industry makes dollars and sense," 23 May 2018
Scientists have added radar info to seismic data, isotope measurements and optical imagery to study covert nuclear tests.

— christopher intagliata, Scientific American, "Radar Scans Detail North Korean Nukes," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'covert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of covert

Middle English, from Anglo-French, past participle of coverir to cover

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

covert Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of covert

secret, covert, stealthy, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded mean done without attracting observation. secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.