overt

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overt

/ə(ʊ)ˈvɜːt/ UK
/ˈə(ʊ)ˌvɜːt/ UK
/oʊˈvɚt/ US
/ˈoʊvɚt/ US

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)t

Where it comes from

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.

adjective

not comparable Open and not concealed or secret. The buſineſs of Overt-Acts is, where the Compaſſing and Imagining the King's Death is the Crime and Queſtion, and this muſt be diſcover'd by Overt-Acts. But if the Treaſon be falſifying of the King's Money, this is Treaſon, but there can be no Overt-Act of that, for that is an Overt-Act in it ſelf;
Similar: manifest, open, patent, plain, unconcealed · Opposite: covert, hidden, nonovert, abstruse, behind the scenes, catlike, backroom, backstairs, stealth, clandestine, cloak-and-dagger, concealed
not comparable Disclosed. Arg. an eagle rising wings overt inverted sa. armed or. HILTOFTE, V.

Opposite: covert

noun overts

An action or condition said to be detrimental to one’s own survival and thus unethical; the consciousness of such behaviour. Scientologists are sure that the person must have “overts” against Scientology, therefore nothing a former member says can be trusted.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: obvious, undisguised, visible, open, barefaced, bald, naked, raw, unconcealed, outspoken, evident, self-evident, conspicuous, outright, blatant, explicit

adjective

Opposite: covert

Translations

Every language

adj open and not concealed or secret

Español	descubierto, al aire libre, explícito
日本語	あからさまな akarasamana
Deutsch	offen, offenkundig, explizit, öffentlich
Italiano	manifesto
Ελληνικά	φανερός fanerós
Русский	явный javnyj

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MLA

"overt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/overt. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

overt. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/overt

Chicago

"overt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/overt.

BibTeX

@misc{overt_2026,
  title = {overt},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/overt},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}