surreptitious

American  

[sur-uhp-tish-uhs] / ˌsɜr əpˈtɪʃ əs /

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 British  

/ 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

Etymology

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” ( rape ¹ ) + -tus past participle suffix) + -īcius adjective suffix ( -itious )

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.

From Literature

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

For the defense, the government’s surreptitious recordings were hard to overcome.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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