English Explanatory Dictionary

overt

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Open and not concealed or secret.
  2. Disclosed.
noun
  1. An action or condition said to be detrimental to one’s own survival and thus unethical; the consciousness of such behaviour.

Pronunciation

/ə(ʊ)ˈvɜːt/ /ˈə(ʊ)ˌvɜːt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-overt.wav /oʊˈvɚt/ /ˈoʊvɚt/

Word forms

overt overts

Etymology

From Middle English overt, uverte (“open, uncovered; unfastened; accessible, unobstructed; clear, manifest”), from Anglo-Norman overt, Middle French ouvert, Old French overt, ouvert, uvert (“opened”) (modern French ouvert), past participle of Anglo-Norman, Old French ovrir, ouvrir, uvrir (“to open”), from Late Latin operire, variant of Latin aperīre (“to open”), from aperiō (“to open, uncover”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away; from”) + *h₂wer- (“to cover, shut”). The English word is a doublet of apert and ouvert.

Synonyms

manifest open patent plain unconcealed

Antonyms

covert hidden nonovert abstruse behind the scenes catlike backroom stealth clandestine cloak-and-dagger concealed confidential deep-laid dern disguised furtive huggermugger hush-hush inconspicuous incognito low profile lurksome lurky mousy obfuscated off-the-books on the down-low on the sly secret secretive slinky sly sneaky stealthy sub rosa surreptitious under-the-table under the radar under wraps undercover underground unperceived

Related words

overture

Derived words

market overt nonovert overtly overtness overt prestige pound overt semiovert unovert O/W
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