secretly

American  

[see-krit-lee] / ˈsi krɪt li /

adverb

1. in a way that is kept from the knowledge of others or is designed to escape their notice.

   He later discovered that the couple had secretly married in a discreet ceremony six months ago.

   Many of the wood and stone looks you see in homes every day are secretly vinyl flooring.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsecretly adverb
• quasi-secretly adverb
• semisecretly adverb
• ultrasecretly adverb
• unsecretly adverb

Etymology

Origin of secretly

secret ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

A hugely popular girl group juggle their music careers with protecting their fans from a rival boyband, whose members are secretly demons.

From BBC

Many must gather secretly, careful not to arrive all at once or sing too loudly, lest mobs or police hear about it.

From The Wall Street Journal

The employee, Robert Garza, said the comments were made in a conversation he secretly recorded and later shared with a local media outlet in Michigan.

From Barron's

While escaping, she and her colleagues treated the wounded secretly, often without bandages.

From Barron's

Perhaps the most profound story here belongs to Jacob Chaim, who, during his years in a Nazi forced-labor camp, secretly crafted a small tin spoon that would come to affirm his sense of humanity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• clandestinely
• covertly
• furtively
• personally
• privately
• quietly
• stealthily
• surreptitiously