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

Derived Forms

• ˌsurrepˈtitiousness, noun
• ˌsurrepˈtitiously, adverb

Other Words From

• sur·rep·ti·tious·ly adverb
• sur·rep·ti·tious·ness 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

I try to be a little more surreptitious about it so it doesn’t scare him, but I do watch him.

From Washington Post

That’s where organoids can provide a window into the surreptitious process.

From Nautilus

Already, companies are trying surreptitious fingerprinting methods to circumvent Apple’s crackdown on app tracking in its mobile operating system.

From Digiday

The surreptitious communication can occur without using computer memory, sockets, files, or any other operating system feature, developer Hector Martin said.

From Ars Technica

Quanta Magazine spoke with Darden recently about her experience working for NASA, how to make fast planes quieter, and her surreptitious visits to speak with schoolchildren and Girl Scouts.

From Quanta Magazine

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

From The Daily Beast

Stephanie often takes surreptitious photographs of fellow commuters for a not-yet-realized blog.

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

Grandmother Penny and Mr. Spackles went to the circus in a more or less surreptitious manner.

From Project Gutenberg

The house was but a small one, with no surreptitious closets or cupboards, or other hiding-places.

From Project Gutenberg

She took a surreptitious glance at the profile of Captain Goritz.

From Project Gutenberg

It was his first surreptitious taste of fame on the Atlantic coast, and not without its delight.

From Project Gutenberg

She reflected quickly that he could not have known anything of her surreptitious trading with the peddler.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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