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surreptitious

[ sur-uhp-tish-uhs ]
/ ˌsɜr əpˈtÉȘʃ əs /
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See synonyms for: surreptitious / surreptitiously / surreptitiousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance.
acting in a stealthy way.
obtained by subreption; subreptitious.
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Origin of surreptitious

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” (see rape1) + -tus past participle suffix) + -īcius adjective suffix (see -itious)

OTHER WORDS FROM surreptitious

sur·rep·ti·tious·ly, adverbsur·rep·ti·tious·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use surreptitious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for surreptitious

surreptitious
/ (ˌsʌrəpˈtÉȘʃəs) /

adjective
done, acquired, etc, in secret or by improper means
operating by stealth
characterized by fraud or misrepresentation of the truth

Derived forms of surreptitious

surreptitiously, adverbsurreptitiousness, noun

Word Origin for surreptitious

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