co·vert
ˈkÅ-(ËŒ)vÉ™rt 
kÅ-ˈvÉ™rt
ˈkə-vərt
kÅ-ˈvÉ™rt
ˈkə-vərt
1
: not openly shown, engaged in, or avowed : veiled
a covert alliance
a covert military operation
covert racism
covertly
adverb
covertness
noun
co·vert
ˈkə-vərt
ˈkÅ-vÉ™rt
ˈkÅ-vÉ™rt
also
ˈkə-vər
1
2
: a feather covering the bases of the quills of the wings and tail of a bird see wing illustration
3
: a firm durable twilled sometimes waterproofed cloth usually of mixed-color yarns
Examples of covert in a Sentence
Adjective
He has taken part in a number of covert military operations.
spy agencies taking covert action
Noun
set up a covert from which to watch wildlife without being detected
the rabbit rushed to the safety of the nearest covert
Recent Examples on the Web
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
In an opinion piece published by the Venezuelan independent newspaper La Razón, former lawmaker Omar González Moreno recounted the covert mission that freed him and four others without a single shot being fired.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025
Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2025
Renaissance alchemists kept their work covert, and few alchemical recipes have survived to modern times.
—Cnn, The Mercury News, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for covert
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
That includes Tom Cruise, as covert CIA division agent Ethan Hunt, riding a motorcycle off a 4,000-foot cliff and BASE jumping the final 500 feet of a ravine, or the breathless climactic train mayhem in 2023’s Dead Reckoning, the opening installment of this two-parter.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
In an opinion piece published by the Venezuelan independent newspaper La Razón, former lawmaker Omar González Moreno recounted the covert mission that freed him and four others without a single shot being fired.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025
Noun
These service members may otherwise be higher earners and may have a larger pre-tax retirement account to covert.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2025
Renaissance alchemists kept their work covert, and few alchemical recipes have survived to modern times.
—Cnn, The Mercury News, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for covert
Cite this Entry
“Covert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covert. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
covert
1 of 2 adjective
co·vert
ˈkÅ-(ËŒ)vÉ™rt
kÅ-ˈvÉ™rt
kÅ-ˈvÉ™rt
ˈkəv-ərt
1
: not openly made or done
covert military operations
2
: covered over : sheltered
a covert nook
covertly
adverb
covertness
noun
covert
2 of 2 noun
co·vert
ˈkəv-ərt
ˈkÅ-vÉ™rt
ˈkÅ-vÉ™rt
1
: hiding place : shelter
2
: a thicket giving cover to game
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share