Words / C1

KOHV-urt/ˈkəʊvɜːt/

Covert means secret and not openly acknowledged: a covert meeting, covert surveillance. Secret is everyday; hidden is close; clandestine is a literary cousin; overt is the opposite (open). Covertly is the adverb. In speech, secret or on the quiet is enough. Covert rhymes with “lover” in British English (/ˈkəʊvɜːt/). Do not use it for a surprise party unless you want spy-novel comedy.

Meaning

Secret; not openly acknowledged.

Examples

• “They held a covert meeting after hours.”
• “They held a covert meeting after the official minutes were signed.”
• “Covert recording in tutorials is a disciplinary offence, not a study hack.”

Good to know

Hidden; not open. Opposite: overt. Everyday: secret. Close: clandestine. Adverb: covertly. British stress: first syllable.

Near in meaning

secret

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