CLANDESTINE adjective (klan-des-tin)

adjective
1. characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception; private or surreptitious: Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years.


Quotes

Mr. Felt drew on his espionage experience in 1972 when he insisted that the Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward take circuitous routes to their clandestine meetings in an underground parking garage and use elaborate communications signals that were recounted by Mr. Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their book "All the President's Men."
--*David Johnston,*"Behind Deep Throat's Clandestine Ways, a Cloak-and-Dagger Past," New York Times, June 4, 2005

The director of the CIA reluctantly stepped in. "Sir, that is one of the inherent risks of clandestine operations. …"
--*Stephen Coonts,*Cuba, 1999



Origin

Clandestine comes from Latin clandestīnus meaning “secret, hidden” from clam meaning “secretly.” The -stīnus element is probably modeled after intestīnus meaning “internal.” Clandestine entered English in the 1560s.