clandestino

clandestine

adjective klahn-des-TEE-noh Rare

Origin: From Latin clam (secretly).

Also means

secret

Usage Note

Clandestino describes activities carried out in secret to avoid legal or official scrutiny — reunión clandestina, inmigración clandestina. It has a stronger connotation of illegality than secreto (simply secret). The noun clandestinidad refers to the state of operating underground; the phrase en la clandestinidad means 'in hiding' or 'operating underground'.

Examples

"El grupo operaba de manera clandestina durante años."

Natural Translation

The group operated clandestinely for years.

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