surreptitiously

[ sur-uhp-tish-uhs-lee ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of surreptitiously¹

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

Example Sentences

After the alleged extortion started, Huang said, he hired an attorney and a private detective and began surreptitiously recording conversations with the defendants.

From Los Angeles Times

So brazen were her efforts that, in one instance, she surreptitiously added a Chinese official to a private state government call about the public health response to the virus, according to prosecutors.

From BBC

Federal law requires reimbursement only for unauthorized transactions, such as when someone hacks into your account or surreptitiously uses an app on your phone to make payments.

From Los Angeles Times

This year, a former Caltrans executive said she was demoted after raising concerns about a repaving project that surreptitiously widened 3½ miles of the freeway where the toll lanes were being proposed.

From Los Angeles Times

Both articles were produced during a period when the newspaper has acknowledged paying the private detective explicitly to obtain material surreptitiously.

From New York Times

Related Words

• covertly
• secretly
• stealthily