🇫🇷French Source WordCode: FR

opération clandestine

Pronunciation / Transliteration: ɔpeʁasjɔ̃ klandestin

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Covert operation/ˈkoʊ.vɝt ˌɑː.pəˈreɪ.ʃən/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
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🇫🇷 Example Sentence in French:

"Les services secrets ont mené une opération clandestine."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A military or political operation intended to conceal the identity of the sponsor or to make it appear as though it came from another source.

    "The intelligence agency planned a covert operation to gather critical information behind enemy lines."
  2. 2

    Any secret mission or clandestine activity undertaken by governmental or non-governmental entities to achieve strategic objectives without public awareness.

    "Details of the covert operation were kept classified for decades to protect national security."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'covert' derives from the Old French 'covert', meaning hidden or covered, stemming from the Latin 'coopertus', past participle of 'cooperire'. 'Operation' originates from the Latin 'operatio', meaning a working or performance. Together, the phrase gained prominence in military and intelligence contexts during the mid-20th century to describe officially sanctioned clandestine activities designed to conceal the identity of the sponsor.

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