covert operation

1. 1.

   an intelligence operation so planned as to permit plausible denial by the sponsor

   Broaderoperation

   Narrowerblack operation

Questions about covert operation

What does covert operation mean?

covert operation means "an intelligence operation so planned as to permit plausible denial by the sponsor".

Is covert operation a common word?

covert operation is banded "Rare" — specialist or archaic — most readers will not have met it. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.