secretly

[ see-krit-lee ]

/ ˈsi krɪt li /

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See synonyms for secretly on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of secretly

secret + -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM secretly

non·se·cret·ly, adverbqua·si-se·cret·ly, adverbsem·i·se·cret·ly, adverbul·tra·se·cret·ly, adverb

un·se·cret·ly, adverb

Words nearby secretly

secrete, secret history, secretin, secretion, secretive, secretly, secretory, secret partner, secret police, secret Santa, secret sauce

How to use secretly in a sentence

The companies aren’t likely to reveal all the tricks and commercial secrets they used to make the vaccines, says Sanjay Mishra, a protein chemist and data scientist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Here’s why COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer’s need to be kept so cold|Tina Hesman Saey|November 20, 2020|Science News
Then there’s Jimin’s plaintive, cheery tenor, which always turns him into the cuddliest, secret-keeping member of your slumber party.
BTS’s new album is sublime comfort pop for the soul in lockdown|Aja Romano|November 20, 2020|Vox
She starts keeping a lot of secrets from her mother, an academic secretary.
The mind-boggling end of Susan Choi’s Trust Exercise, explained|Constance Grady|November 20, 2020|Vox
In college, I remember thinking if a celebrity like Diana can keep a secret like that, I can do it and no one will notice.
What ‘The Crown’ got right in portraying Princess Diana’s bulimia: It let her voice be heard|Amanda Long|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

I wished Zelda would have been as vital and essential as Link throughout the story and that she would have revealed more secrets about herself, but that wasn’t to be for most of the game.
‘Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity’: A semi-satisfying new piece of the ‘Zelda’ universe|Harold Goldberg|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
While many Hawaiians still secretly worshipped the old gods, kapu was dead as a public pillar of the social structure.
How Haoles Destroyed Hawaii|Wendy Smith|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Britain refuses to listen, but has shocked the art world by secretly loaning one of the antiquities to Russia.
Britain Has Lost Its Marbles: Elgin Loan Will Appease Putin|Geoffrey Robertson|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But secretly rooting for the good Israelis and wishing them success is one thing.
The Inside Story of U.S. Meddling in Israel’s Elections|Aaron David Miller|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He proceeds to tease me, asking if our interview is “secretly a date?”
My Bizarre Night With James Deen, Libertarian Porn Star|Emily Shire|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As other prisoners took advantage of the rehabilitation programs offered, Lane and Opperud secretly planned an escape.
How To Plan A Jailbreak|Seth Ferranti|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He had not estimated that if Jean Baptiste sought his wife secretly, it must have been because he wished to avoid him.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Seeing that this would not be conceded, he commenced to persecute Christians openly and secretly.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
It is said that the governor has money taken from the royal treasury secretly at night.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Who among us would fail to believe what we have, perhaps, secretly wished for in our heart of hearts?
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Mrs. Armine was fatigued by the journey, and by the long day at Denderah, which had secretly depressed her.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens