surreptitious

[sur-uhp-tish-uhs]

adjective

1. obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine.

   a surreptitious glance.

2. acting in a stealthy way.

3. obtained by subreption; subreptitious.

surreptitious

/ ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəs /

adjective

1. done, acquired, etc, in secret or by improper means

2. operating by stealth

3. characterized by fraud or misrepresentation of the truth

Other Word Forms

• surreptitiously adverb
• surreptitiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of surreptitious¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin surreptīcius “stolen, clandestine,” equivalent to surrept(us), past participle of surripere “to steal,” ( sur- sur- ² + rep-, combining form of rapere “to snatch, plunder” ( rape ¹ ) + -tus past participle suffix) + -īcius adjective suffix ( -itious )

Word History and Origins

Origin of surreptitious¹

C15: from Latin surreptīcius furtive, from surripere to steal, from sub- secretly + rapere to snatch

Example Sentences

Penelope puzzled over these mysteries daily, and had even paid a surreptitious visit or two to the attic while the children were otherwise engaged.

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With the camera on the dashboard, the vehicle becomes a surreptitious mobile set with Panahi and his co-stars mostly improvising their dialogue, some of it as cutting as anything intentional.

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Others find decoys to place in their pouches, pocketing their real devices for surreptitious use throughout the school day.

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A sheriff’s jail supervisor testified that Baker also tried to leave coded kites — a surreptitious method of inmate communication using handwritten binary code on paper — in a courthouse stairwell that the widow used after him.

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After the couple found out about her surreptitious sterilization, “All our plans came tumbling down.”

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Related Words

• clandestine 
• covert 
• furtive 
• hush-hush 
• unauthorized