Clandestine means secret and often forbidden. A clandestine meeting happens in hidden places, away from anyone who might disapprove or interfere. During World War II, resistance fighters held clandestine meetings in basements and forests to plan operations against occupying armies.

The word carries a sense of secrecy born from necessity or danger. When spies organize a clandestine operation to gather intelligence, they're hiding because discovery could mean serious consequences: arrest, punishment, or worse.

Clandestine differs from secret in its flavor: it suggests something covert and carefully concealed, often because it goes against rules or authority. A surprise birthday party is secret, but a clandestine tunnel dug by prisoners trying to escape is both secret and forbidden.

You might encounter it in spy novels, history books about underground movements, or stories where characters must operate in the shadows. A clandestine radio station might broadcast messages to citizens living under an oppressive government, staying hidden to avoid being shut down.