Word of the Day

: June 16, 2007

clandestine

adjective klan-DES-tun

What It Means

: marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy : surreptitious

clandestine in Context

The commander ordered the clandestine flights over enemy territory to gather more information about the opposing forces.

Did You Know?

In 1658, the English poet John Milton wrote of "clandestine Hostility cover'd over with the name of Peace." Three and a half centuries later we use "clandestine" in much the same way. The word is often used as a synonym of "secret" and "covert," and it is commonly applied to actions that involve secrecy maintained for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose. It comes to us by way of Middle French from Latin "clandestinus," which is itself from "clam," meaning "secretly."