surreptitious

[ sur-uh p-tish-uh s ]
/ ˌsɜr əpˈtɪʃ əs /

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

OTHER WORDS FROM surreptitious

sur·rep·ti·tious·ly, adverb sur·rep·ti·tious·ness, noun

Example sentences from the Web for surreptitious

British Dictionary definitions for surreptitious

surreptitious
/ (ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəs) /

adjective

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

Derived forms of surreptitious

surreptitiously, adverb surreptitiousness, noun

Word Origin for surreptitious

C15: from Latin surreptīcius furtive, from surripere to steal, from sub- secretly + rapere to snatch