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furtive

[ fur-tiv ]
/ ˈfɜr tɪv /
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See synonyms for: furtive / furtively / furtiveness on Thesaurus.com
adjective
taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret: a furtive glance.
sly; shifty: a furtive manner.
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Origin of furtive

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin furtīvus, equivalent to furt(um) “theft” (compare fūr “thief”) + -īvus -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM furtive

fur·tive·ly, adverbfur·tive·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to furtive

clandestine, conspiratorial, covert, surreptitious, artful, calculating, cautious, circumspect, cloaked, crafty, creepy, cunning, disguised, elusive, evasive, foxy, guileful, hidden, hush-hush, insidious

How to use furtive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for furtive

furtive
/ (ˈfɜːtɪv) /
adjective
characterized by stealth; sly and secretive

Derived forms of furtive

furtively, adverbfurtiveness, noun

Word Origin for furtive

C15: from Latin furtīvus stolen, clandestine, from furtum a theft, from fūr a thief; related to Greek phōr thief
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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