overt

adjective

ō-ˈvərt How to pronounce overt (audio) ˈō-(ˌ)vərt How to pronounce overt (audio)
Synonyms of overt
: open to view : manifest
overt hostility
overt symptoms of the disease
overt discrimination
both overt and covert military action
overtness noun

Examples of overt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And Justice Department guidelines and norms have typically urged prosecutors to avoid taking overt investigative steps on politically sensitive cases so close to a national election. — Sophia Vlahakis, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Jane hoped to be more overt, creating a simple manual for people who came to the topic on purpose. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 The Justice Department has historically avoided overt investigative actions involving candidates in the immediate run-up to an election. — Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 For the film’s third key character, Latif’s daughter Fatiha (Adia), Govan had to represent yet another approach to faith, with less latitude for overt stylization than in Latif or Pastor Hwan. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overt

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from past participle of ovrir to open, from Vulgar Latin *operire, alteration of Latin aperire

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overt was in the 14th century

Rhymes for overt

See All Rhymes for overt

Browse Nearby Words

overswing
overt
overtake
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overt. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

overt

adjective
ō-ˈvərt How to pronounce overt (audio) ˈō-(ˌ)vərt How to pronounce overt (audio)
: open to view : not secret
overt hostility
overtly adverb
overtness noun

Medical Definition

overt

adjective
ō-ˈvərt, ˈō-ˌvərt also ˈō-vərt
: open to view : readily perceived
overt behavior
overtly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on overt

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overt

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All