surreptitiously

American  

[sur-uhp-tish-uhs-lee] / ˌsɜr əpˈtɪʃ əs li /

adverb

1. in a secret or unauthorized way; stealthily.

   After it surreptitiously installs itself on a user's phone, the spyware program can steal credit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information.

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Etymology

Origin of surreptitiously

First recorded in 1580–90; surreptitious ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you're doing things secret and sneakily, you're doing them surreptitiously. This is an adverb that applies to actions that you're trying to do covertly: you don't want anyone to know about them, so you have to be sneaky. Burglars approach a house surreptitiously. If you plan a surprise party for your mother, you have to go about it surreptitiously or she'll find out and the surprise will be ruined. Anything you don't reveal fully or do on the sly is an example of going about it surreptitiously.

Example Sentences

Largely harvested in the wild by foragers—sometimes surreptitiously on private land—in the Northeast and Midwest, they make their way to grocers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

And Meta reportedly plans to add facial recognition technology in an updated version of its glasses, meaning wearers could not only have the ability to surreptitiously record anyone, but quickly identify them, as well.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Already, women have begun speaking out about their experiences being surreptitiously recorded on smart glasses and the feeling of violation that arose when they realized that they’d been posted online for content.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

The recognition of a sculpture surreptitiously flipping the bird certainly produces a smile.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

He had looked at Mr Hooper surreptitiously across the dining table, and when he passed by him on the staircase, trying to understand.

From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill

Related Words

• covertly
• secretly
• stealthily