Standard Lemma guide

clandestine

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /klænˈdɛst(a)ɪn/
  • /klænˈdɛs.tən/
  • /ˈklændɪst(a)ɪn/
  • /ˈklændəst(a)ɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛstɪn
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AE0 N D EH1 S T IH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Done or kept in secret, sometimes to conceal an illicit or improper purpose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • clandestine military operations
  • 2005 — Stewart Lee, 90's Comedian DVD And I don't want anyone to think I dislike Catholicism because I don't. It's actually my favourite form of clandestine global evil.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: covert, furtive, hush-hush, secret, secretive, undercover, abstruse, behind the scenes, catlike, backroom, stealth, clandestine, cloak-and-dagger, concealed, confidential, deep-laid, dern, disguised, huggermugger, inconspicuous, incognito, low profile, lurksome, lurky, mousy, obfuscated, off-the-books, on the down-low, on the sly, slinky, sly, sneaky, stealthy, sub rosa, surreptitious, under-the-table, under the radar, under wraps, underground, unperceived

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not recognized as a regular member.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Freemasonry, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • clandestine intelligence operations
  • cloak-and-dagger activities behind enemy lines
  • hole-and-corner intrigue
  • secret missions
  • a secret agent
  • secret sales of arms
  • surreptitious mobilization of troops
  • an undercover investigation
  • underground resistance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner(a), hugger-mugger, hush-hush, secret, surreptitious, undercover, underground

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سري (sirri) — done or kept in secret
  • Azerbaijani: gizli — done or kept in secret
  • Azerbaijani: məxfi — done or kept in secret
  • Bulgarian: та́ен (táen) — done or kept in secret
  • Bulgarian: нелега́лен (nelegálen) — done or kept in secret
  • Catalan: clandestí — done or kept in secret
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暗中的 (ànzhōng de) — done or kept in secret
  • Chinese Mandarin: 秘密的 (mìmì de) — done or kept in secret
  • Chinese Mandarin: 地下的 (dìxià de) — done or kept in secret
  • Czech: utajovaný — done or kept in secret
  • Czech: utajený — done or kept in secret
  • Czech: tajný — done or kept in secret
  • Danish: hemmelig — done or kept in secret
  • Danish: lønlig — done or kept in secret
  • Danish: skjult — done or kept in secret
  • Dutch: heimelijk — done or kept in secret
  • Dutch: geheim — done or kept in secret
  • Dutch: clandestien — done or kept in secret
  • Finnish: salainen — done or kept in secret
  • French: clandestin — done or kept in secret
  • German: klammheimlich — done or kept in secret
  • German: heimlich — done or kept in secret
  • German: geheim — done or kept in secret
  • German: klandestin — done or kept in secret
  • Greek: μυστικός (mystikós) — done or kept in secret
  • Greek: κρυφός (kryfós) — done or kept in secret
  • Greek: λαθραίος (lathraíos) — done or kept in secret
  • Ancient Greek: λαθραῖος (lathraîos) — done or kept in secret
  • Hungarian: titkos — done or kept in secret
  • Hungarian: rejtett — done or kept in secret
  • Hungarian: tilalmas — done or kept in secret
  • Hungarian: illegális — done or kept in secret
  • Icelandic: leynilegur — done or kept in secret
  • Indonesian: klandestin — done or kept in secret
  • Indonesian: diam-diam — done or kept in secret
  • Italian: clandestino — done or kept in secret
  • Japanese: 秘密の (himitsu no) — done or kept in secret
  • Japanese: 不法の (fuhō no) — done or kept in secret
  • Korean: 은밀(隱密)하다 (eunmilhada) — done or kept in secret
  • Northern Kurdish: nepenî — done or kept in secret
  • Northern Kurdish: nehênî — done or kept in secret
  • Northern Kurdish: dizîkî — done or kept in secret
  • Latin: clandestīnus — done or kept in secret
  • Latin: furtīvus — done or kept in secret
  • Plautdietsch: heemlich — done or kept in secret
  • Polish: konspiracyjny — done or kept in secret
  • Polish: ukryty — done or kept in secret
  • Polish: tajny — done or kept in secret
  • Polish: pokątny — done or kept in secret
  • Portuguese: clandestino — done or kept in secret
  • Romanian: clandestin — done or kept in secret
  • Russian: подпо́льный (podpólʹnyj) — done or kept in secret
  • Russian: та́йный (tájnyj) — done or kept in secret
  • Russian: секре́тный (sekrétnyj) — done or kept in secret
  • Russian: нелега́льный (nelegálʹnyj) — done or kept in secret
  • Sanskrit: रहस्य (rahasya) — done or kept in secret
  • Serbo-Croatian: скрѝвен — done or kept in secret
  • Serbo-Croatian: skrìven — done or kept in secret
  • Serbo-Croatian: tajan — done or kept in secret
  • Spanish: clandestino — done or kept in secret
  • Vietnamese: bí mật — done or kept in secret
  • Welsh: dirgel — done or kept in secret
Real reading context

clandestine in complete knowledge articles