English Reference
Adjective

clandestine

adj.
C1 Advanced US /kɫænˈdɛstɪn/ UK /klændˈɛstɪn/ clan·des·tine

adj.done in secret, often because it is illegal or not allowed. You use this to describe things like hidden meetings or private plans.

adj.kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit. Typically describes activities, meetings, or relationships rather than physical objects.


SIMPLE

The two spies had a clandestine meeting in the park.

CONTEXTUAL

The group held clandestine meetings in a basement to plan their protest without the police finding out.

COMPLEX

Historians recently uncovered documents detailing the clandestine operations carried out by the resistance during the final months of the occupation.

Usage

Often used attributively before a noun; frequently collocates with 'meeting', 'operation', or 'affair'.

In Abigail Weinstock’s sparkling one-woman show, 30-year-old Eliana has been caught making clandestine recordings in her neighbour’s bedroom and cannot deny it.

The Guardian· 19 Aug 2026

So began America’s formal entry into peacetime espionage, including clandestine intelligence missions.

Smithsonian Magazine· 27 Aug 2026

From Latin clandestīnus (“secret, concealed”); compare French clandestin.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin clandestīnus
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated