# clandestine

/kɫænˈdɛstɪn/ (US) · /klændˈɛstɪn/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/clandestine
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

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

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

## Examples

- The two spies had a clandestine meeting in the park.
- The group held clandestine meetings in a basement to plan their protest without the police finding out.
- Historians recently uncovered documents detailing the clandestine operations carried out by the resistance during the final months of the occupation.

## Usage notes

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

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