BharatNotes Clandestine
adjective (also occasionally noun and verb, both rare/archaic)/klænˈdɛstɪn/
Kept secret or done in concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or evasion of authority.
Usage in a UPSC answer
The proliferation of clandestine electoral funding through opaque instruments such as electoral bonds erodes the transparency that a healthy democracy demands of its political financing.
Synonyms
covertsurreptitiousfurtivesecretundercoverstealthy
Antonyms
overtopenpublicaboveboard
Word Family
clandestine (adj), clandestinely (adv), clandestineness (n), clandestinity (n)
Root
Latin clam = secretly → clandestinus = secret, hidden; via Middle French clandestin
Etymology
From Latin clandestinus ("secret, hidden"), formed from the adverb clam ("secretly"), via Middle French clandestin.
Memory Hook
Hear "CLAN-destine" as a secret CLAN meeting at a hidden DESTINE-ation; the Latin root clam means 'secretly' — a clandestine clan conceals its plans.
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