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.

"Once you receive the GoFundMe money, you use it to buy a car or build a house," Lubajja says while being secretly filmed.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Some scammers secretly reset the borrower’s password while on the phone with them.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Secretary of State James Byrnes secretly offered Denmark $100 million for Greenland, roughly $1.6 billion today.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

One woman from Adusah's church - who later gave a statement to UK police - said Charmain had secretly obtained a second phone because Adusah had confiscated her main one.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

So Christopher secretly opened his windows at night to let the birds in.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

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