surreptitiously

American  

[sur-uhp-tish-uhs-lee] / ˌsɜr əpˈtɪʃ əs li /

adverb

1. in a secret or unauthorized way; stealthily.

   After it surreptitiously installs itself on a user's phone, the spyware program can steal credit card numbers, passwords, and other personal information.

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Etymology

Origin of surreptitiously

First recorded in 1580–90; surreptitious ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you're doing things secret and sneakily, you're doing them surreptitiously. This is an adverb that applies to actions that you're trying to do covertly: you don't want anyone to know about them, so you have to be sneaky. Burglars approach a house surreptitiously. If you plan a surprise party for your mother, you have to go about it surreptitiously or she'll find out and the surprise will be ruined. Anything you don't reveal fully or do on the sly is an example of going about it surreptitiously.

Example Sentences

Church members would pass them out surreptitiously for evangelism to prospective Iranian converts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Already, women have begun speaking out about their experiences being surreptitiously recorded on smart glasses and the feeling of violation that arose when they realized that they’d been posted online for content.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

While most of its players are innocents, dubbed Faithfuls, Cumming surreptitiously chooses several to be Traitors.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

Boyd was allowed to speak to witnesses and make phone calls—to his lawyer and, surreptitiously, to the deputy police chief in charge of homicide investigations who promised him help.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

In fact—Jonah started watching Mr. Reardon now—Mr. Reardon kept glancing at the file surreptitiously, every few seconds.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• covertly
• secretly
• stealthily