undercover
undercover Lexical Profile
undercover Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Acting, executed, or carried out in secret using a disguised or assumed identity, especially for investigative, law enforcement, or intelligence purposes.
"An undercover journalist spent three months working at the factory to document the unsafe labor conditions."
• adverb
In secret or under an assumed identity, especially while conducting an official investigation or gathering intelligence.
"The detective worked undercover for nearly a year to infiltrate the international smuggling ring."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse the solid word 'undercover' (meaning done in secret or under an assumed identity) with the two-word phrase 'under cover' (meaning physically sheltered from weather or protected from danger).
• Rhymes for undercover
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 20th century as a compound of the prepositional phrase 'under cover', originally referring to police detectives or intelligence operatives working under the disguise of an assumed identity.