Synonyms

secretly

American

[see-krit-lee] / ˈsi krɪt li /

adverb

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.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of secretly

secret ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Secretly wanting to do stand-up, Notaro decided to try her luck at various outlets in town, which became the start of her successful career.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Appeared in the March 7, 2026, print edition as 'Russia Secretly Shares Locations of U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Even the country stage featured Orville Peck, a gay country artist, who was joined by Willie Nelson for a rendition of "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other."

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2024

Secretly recorded calls of Russian soldiers speaking from the front lines in Ukraine with loved ones back home offer a rare glimpse of the war through Russian eyes.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 25, 2023

Secretly I was wondering whether these people were going to take care of us or whether we were still all on our own, only now in a slightly different form.

From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023