overt

adjective \ ō-ˈvərt , ˈō-(ˌ)vərt \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of overt

: open to view : manifest

overt hostility

overt symptoms of the disease

overt discrimination

both overt and covert military action

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overtly

adverb

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overtness

noun

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Recent Examples of overt from the Web

Furthermore, the most overt link between You Were Never Really Here and Taxi Driver —a broken man's kinship with, and absolution through, a young, female prostitute—cuts deeper in Ramsay's film.

— leah pickett, Chicago Reader, "You Were Never Really Here updates Taxi Driver to an even colder urban landscape," 12 Apr. 2018
Wood paneling is a constant theme, a subtle nod to the décor of Titanic’s first-class cabins, but interior designers Morpheus London have kept overt nautical references firmly in check.

— ruth bloomfield, WSJ, "Luxury Homes in London With Ties to the Titanic," 11 Apr. 2018
On the other hand, the judge ruled that a jury should hear Fina’s contention that Kane’s proxies made overt threats on several occasions.

— craig r. mccoy, Philly.com, "Federal judge gives go-ahead to lawsuit against former Attorney General Kane," 4 Apr. 2018
There is almost no variety of self-selecting online community where this dynamic doesn’t hold at least some sway — a guardedness, whether overt or subtle, against taking time to entertain challenges or skepticism toward group dogma.

— nitsuh abebe, New York Times, "Why Have We Soured on the ‘Devil’s Advocate’?," 3 Apr. 2018
Some practices are overt, such as quotas, and others covert, such as unusual product specifications, lengthy inspections of goods at entry ports and intricate licensing requirements.

— andrew mayeda and bryce baschuk / bloomberg, Time, "What Is a Trade War? Why Economists Are Worried," 24 Mar. 2018
The Hunger Games series has plenty of overt references to American slavery and revolt: The denizens of District 11 weren’t just unfortunate farmers in a southern region.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "Where Fantasy Meets Black Lives Matter," 6 Mar. 2018
Even as China’s challenge has become overt, America has been unwilling or unable to stop it.

— The Economist, "GeopoliticsHow the West got China wrong," 1 Mar. 2018
However, unlike the relatively overt 2011 campaign through which Kasich's political staff recruited central committee members to oust then-Chairman Kevin DeWine and replace him with Borges, the current political backdrop is more ambiguous.

— andrew j. tobias, cleveland.com, "Recruitment play by Cuyahoga County Republican Party chairman raises suspicions of Ohio GOP leaders," 21 Feb. 2018

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