Clandestine - Word of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Prity Mallick

5 min read

Updated On Nov 29, 2025

Discover the word ‘Clandestine’ and express secrecy, hidden actions, and confidential situations in the IELTS Speaking & Writing sections. Learn the meaning, synonyms, examples, and band 8+ tips to elevate your vocabulary level to show higher proficiency.

Clandestine - Word of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

What is the Definition of the Word ‘Clandestine’?
Band 8+ Tips to Use ‘Clandestine’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Sections
Exercise on the Word ‘Clandestine’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

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The word 'Clandestine' would help in academic contexts when you describe secretive activities, undercover operations, or anything done in secrecy. This can elevate your answer in IELTS Speaking and Writing sections and improve your band scores in the Lexical Resource criterion. By utilizing the term in topics like politics, social issues, security, crime, or even personal experiences related to secrecy, you will become confident for the actual IELTS Exam.

Let's dive into its meaning, usage, and examples so that you can confidently use the word in your IELTS answers for a band 8+.

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What is the Definition of the Word ‘Clandestine’?

To use the word ‘Clandestine’ in an accurate way in your Speaking and Writing sections, it is necessary for you to understand its meaning, synonyms, and how it is used in sentences. Remember that this knowledge will help you to highlight information precisely and expansively with the IELTS Vocabulary. Such practice will help you achieve a band 8+ in the Lexical Resources. The table below includes the aspects related to the term before using the word in your answers.

Topic	Description
Clandestine	Adjective
Definition	Done or kept secret
Synonyms	Secret, Classified, Confidential
Collocations	With nouns: clandestine meeting/ operation
Adjective examples – Clandestine	She was offered a hefty sum of money as the job seemed to be clandestine in nature. The gang met at a secluded and clandestine spot to plan the robbery. Many people live in a clandestine manner across the borders without any national documents. Raj went on a clandestine trip to do things that he was not allowed to do. The teacher warned the students that their clandestine actions would land them in trouble.
Noun examples – Clandestineness/ Clandestinity	The clandestineness in his business made people doubt its reliability. It is complicated to maintain clandestineness with so many people surrounding you. Rose had told her kids that doing things in clandestineness will land them in problems. People who do their work in clandestinity will often feel the guilt within themselves. The hospital could not afford to maintain the clandestinity of its patients.
Noun examples – Clandestineness/ Clandestinity	It was a funny moment when my little brother clandestinely took out the money from the kitchen mat. The mob wanted more people to join the protest clandestinely, as they didn’t want to get caught. As she was fond of him, she clandestinely helped him to rob her house. The smugglers clandestinely sold the timber woods. Rahul clandestinely passed on the confidential information to his colleague as he trusted him so much.

Check out the video below to learn 9 Vocabulary Tips to IMPROVE Your Score for the IELTS Writing Task 2!

Band 8+ Tips to Use ‘Clandestine’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Sections

The use of advanced vocabulary such as ‘Clandestine’ can enhance your answers in the IELTS Speaking and Writing sections. If you are aware of the contexts in which the word fits in topics like crime, government actions, or research, you can incorporate it with ease. This will also help showcase your knowledge of using this vocabulary term appropriately. The table given below will help you use the word accurately in both sections by diving into the band 8+ tips.

Remember that the word suggests an action being performed secretly, due to its illegality.

The group held clandestine meetings late at night.

You can use it while discussing topics related to secrecy, surveillance, crime, politics, or confidential operations.

Many governments conduct clandestine research projects for national security.

It is necessary to incorporate the word without sounding too forced in personal stories or discussing people's opinions.

During school hours, students at times had clandestine phone usage despite the implementation of strict rules and school policy.

Include this in topics related to governance, ethics, or technology while writing essays.

Many people argue that clandestine data collection violates an individual’s privacy.

You can also use combinations or collocations such as clandestine activities, clandestine operations, clandestine meetings.

The organisation was accused of carrying out clandestine activities.

Do not overuse the term; instead, try learning synonyms to demonstrate your vocabulary range. You can use words like secret, covert, undercover, hidden.

The covert nature of the operation has recently shown rising ethical concerns.

Use the word in complex or compound sentences for a band 8+ in Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Although the plan was carried out clandestinely, it eventually came to public attention.

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Exercise on the Word ‘Clandestine’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

The exercise provided below would help you to learn the natural placement in sentences, ideas, and arguments. By going through the exercise, you can increase the appropriate usage of your vocabulary while indicating that you can use such advanced vocabulary precisely for achieving a band 8+ in the Lexical Resource criterion.

Match the word below to complete these sentences.

classwork	ligaments	clandestine
disrespect	overjoyed	heartless

1 He is forced to lead a ………………. existence, abandoned only when he occasionally reappears to demand money from his wife.

2 It is important to file away your………………... notes carefully so that you are able to find them again when you need them.

3 Critchley was always vulnerable because of his irreverent humour, which could lead to incautious and overt ………………………

4 His reputation already in jeopardy, Young further offended gentiles with what they thought was his most ……………………… scheme.

5 Since these abnormalities are in the bones or …………….. connected to the bones, muscle exercises will not work.

6 She was …………………. to hear that their plan was working.

Answer to the Exercise on ‘Clandestine’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Once you have attempted the exercise, it is the right time to check the correct answers as well as the reasons behind any errors. This step is vital because the learning of advanced words is not just about their meanings but you must also learn how a word is used in sentences and in various contexts. With this knowledge, you can elevate your lexical accuracy which will help you to get closer to achieve a higher IELTS Band Score.

clandestine
classwork
disrespect
heartless
ligaments
overjoyed

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As you practice more in order to improve your comprehension of the meaning, synonyms, and context of the word 'Clandestine', you can easily express secretive or hidden activities. In this way, you can convey your thoughts in a very clear manner, without repeating it in the Speaking and IELTS Writing sections. So, do not stop here and continue increasing your vocabulary range with new words!

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