covert - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

Think soldiers in masks secretly infiltrating an enemy stronghold, a covert operation is one that no one but the president and a few generals know is happening.

Covert is the opposite of overt, which means obvious, something in full view. "The teachers weren't impressed by the students' overt attempt to derail the discussion. 'You aren't even pretending to try to like Shakespeare,' she complained."

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: covert

1	adj n	secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
2	adj	(of a wife) being under the protection of her husband
3	n	a flock of coots

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: covert

1

adj secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed

“covert actions by the CIA”

“covert funding for the rebels”

Synonyms: implicit, inexplicit
implied though not directly expressed; inherent in the nature of something; backstair, backstairs, furtive
secret and sly or sordid; black
(of intelligence operations) deliberately misleading; clandestine, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, secret, surreptitious, undercover, underground
conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; secret
indulging only covertly; collusive, conniving
acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end; cloaked, disguised, masked
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading; secret
communicated covertly; behind-the-scenes, sub-rosa, under-the-table
designed and carried out secretly or confidentially; subterranean, subterraneous, ulterior
lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed (especially being kept in the background or deliberately concealed); under wraps
kept secret; undisclosed, unrevealed
not made known; concealed
hidden on any grounds for any motive; invisible, unseeable
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye

Antonyms:: open, overt
open and observable; not secret or hidden; explicit, expressed
precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication; bald, barefaced
with no effort to conceal; naked, raw
devoid of elaboration or diminution or concealment; bare and pure; undisguised
plain to see; visible
obvious to the eye; public
not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole; unconcealed
not concealed or hidden; show more antonyms...

n a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something

“the brush provided a covert for game”

Synonyms:: concealment, cover, screen

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; blind
a hiding place sometimes used by hunters (especially duck hunters); camouflage
device or stratagem for concealment or deceit; shoji
a translucent screen made of a wooden frame covered with rice paper; stalking-horse
screen consisting of a figure of a horse behind which a hunter hides while stalking game

Type of:: covering
an artifact that covers something else (usually to protect or shelter or conceal it)

2

adj (of a wife) being under the protection of her husband

“a woman covert”

Synonyms: protected
kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss

3

n a flock of coots

Type of:: flock
a group of birds