surreptitious

[sur-uh p-tish-uh s]

See more synonyms for surreptitious 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.

Origin of surreptitious

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin surreptīcius stolen, clandestine, equivalent to surrept(us), past participle of surripere to steal, (sur- sur-² + rep-, combining form of rapere to snatch, rape¹ + -tus past participle suffix) + -īcius -itious

Related formssur·rep·ti·tious·ly, adverbsur·rep·ti·tious·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for surreptitious

Contemporary Examples

Last month I turned and faced their surreptitious security: “Catch any thieves today?”
‘Why Have I Lost Control?’: Cory Booker in ’92 on Rodney King Echoes Ferguson
Cory Booker
November 26, 2014
They refused until they had “achieved their surreptitious climax.”
Speed Read: 11 Most Shocking Moments From Pete Townshend’s ‘Who I Am’
Abby Haglage
October 8, 2012
But by 1953, with McCarthyism and the second Red Scare in full swing, the FBI moved from surreptitious research to direct contact.
Inside Howard Zinn's FBI Files
Clark Merrefield
July 30, 2010

Historical Examples

Maddalena hid the death-charm once more with a movement that was surreptitious.
A Spirit in Prison
Robert Hichens
But he did not complete his reference to last night's surreptitious conversation.
The Martian Cabal
Roman Frederick Starzl
With his sandalled foot the friar caught the fool a surreptitious kick.
Love-at-Arms
Raphael Sabatini
I'm persuaded they're playing some deep and surreptitious game at present.
For the Sake of the School
Angela Brazil
She was in the lowest of spirits, and blinked away some surreptitious tears.
The New Girl at St. Chad's
Angela Brazil

British Dictionary definitions for surreptitious

surreptitious

adjective

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

Derived Formssurreptitiously, adverbsurreptitiousness, noun

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for surreptitious

adj.

mid-15c., from Latin surrepticius "stolen, furtive, clandestine," from surreptus, past participle of surripere "seize secretly," from sub "from under" (hence, "secretly") + rapere "to snatch" (see rapid). Related: Surreptitiously.

surreptitious

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Examples from the Web for surreptitious

Contemporary Examples

Last month I turned and faced their surreptitious security: “Catch any thieves today?”

They refused until they had “achieved their surreptitious climax.”

But by 1953, with McCarthyism and the second Red Scare in full swing, the FBI moved from surreptitious research to direct contact.

Historical Examples

Maddalena hid the death-charm once more with a movement that was surreptitious.

But he did not complete his reference to last night's surreptitious conversation.

With his sandalled foot the friar caught the fool a surreptitious kick.

I'm persuaded they're playing some deep and surreptitious game at present.

She was in the lowest of spirits, and blinked away some surreptitious tears.

surreptitious

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for surreptitious

adj.

Origin of surreptitious