Standard Lemma guide

secretly

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsiː.kɹɪt.li/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈsiː.kɹət.li/ weak vowel merger
  • CMU ARPABET: S IY1 K R IH0 T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In secret, covertly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Mary cheated secretly in the test, and never got caught.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

not openly; inwardly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they were secretly delighted at his embarrassment
  • hoped secretly she would change her mind

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in secrecy; not openly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • met secretly to discuss the invasion plans
  • the children secretly went to the movies when they were supposed to be at the library
  • they arranged to meet in secret

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: in secret, on the Q.T., on the QT

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English secret Middle English -ly English -ly English secretly From secret + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

99 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: fshehurazi — in a secret manner
  • Albanian: fshehtas — in a secret manner
  • Arabic: سِرًّا (sirran) — in a secret manner
  • Armenian: թաքուն (tʻakʻun) — in a secret manner
  • Armenian: ծածուկ (cacuk) — in a secret manner
  • Azerbaijani: gizlicə — in a secret manner
  • Azerbaijani: xəlvətcə — in a secret manner
  • Azerbaijani: əlaltından — in a secret manner
  • Azerbaijani: gizlin — in a secret manner
  • Bashkir: йәшерен (yəşeren) — in a secret manner
  • Bashkir: йәшертен (yəşerten) — in a secret manner
  • Belarusian: тае́мна (tajémna) — in a secret manner
  • Bulgarian: тайно (tajno) — in a secret manner
  • Bulgarian: незабелязано (nezabeljazano) — in a secret manner
  • Catalan: secretament — in a secret manner
  • Catalan: cobertament — in a secret manner
  • Catalan: en secret — in a secret manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 偷偷 (tōutōu) — in a secret manner
  • Czech: tajně — in a secret manner
  • Danish: hemmeligt — in a secret manner
  • Danish: i dølgsmål — in a secret manner
  • Dutch: stiekem — in a secret manner
  • Esperanto: sekrete — in a secret manner
  • Finnish: salaa — in a secret manner
  • Finnish: salaisesti — in a secret manner
  • Finnish: salassa — in a secret manner
  • Finnish: vaivihkaa — in a secret manner
  • French: secrètement — in a secret manner
  • French: en cachette — in a secret manner
  • West-Frisian: temûk — in a secret manner
  • German: heimlich — in a secret manner
  • German: insgeheim — in a secret manner
  • Gothic: 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌱𐌾𐍉 (þiubjō) — in a secret manner
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌲𐌽𐌹𐌱𐌰 (analaugniba) — in a secret manner
  • Greek: κρυφά (kryfá) — in a secret manner
  • Greek: μυστικά (mystiká) — in a secret manner
  • Ancient Greek: κρυφῇ (kruphēî) — in a secret manner
  • Ancient Greek: λάθρᾳ (láthrāi) — in a secret manner
  • Ancient Greek: λαθραίως (lathraíōs) — in a secret manner
  • Greek: κρυφᾷ (kruphāî) — in a secret manner
  • Hindi: चुपके (cupke) — in a secret manner
  • Hindi: छुपके (chupke) — in a secret manner
  • Hungarian: titkon — in a secret manner
  • Hungarian: titokban — in a secret manner
  • Ido: sekrete — in a secret manner
  • Irish: gan fhios — in a secret manner
  • Italian: di nascosto — in a secret manner
  • Japanese: ひそかに (hisoka ni) — in a secret manner
  • Karachay-Balkar: джашыртын (caşırtın) — in a secret manner
  • Karachay-Balkar: таша (taşa) — in a secret manner
  • Karachay-Balkar: кёргюзтмей (körgüztmey) — in a secret manner
  • Karachay-Balkar: билдирмей (bildirmey) — in a secret manner
  • Karakalpak: jasırın — in a secret manner
  • Kazakh: жасырын (jasyryn) — in a secret manner
  • Korean: 몰래 (mollae) — in a secret manner
  • Kumyk: яшыртгъын (yaşırtğın) — in a secret manner
  • Kumyk: яшыртгъынлыкъ булан (yaşırtğınlıq bulan) — in a secret manner
  • Latgalian: paslapyn — in a secret manner
  • Latgalian: paslapši — in a secret manner
  • Latin: clam — in a secret manner
  • Latin: furtim — in a secret manner
  • Latin: latenter — in a secret manner
  • Latvian: slepeni — in a secret manner
  • Middle English: sleighly — in a secret manner
  • Northern Altai: туйукка (tuyukka) — in a secret manner
  • Northern Altai: чажырып (čažïrïp) — in a secret manner
  • Northern Altai: чажыды была (čažïdï bïla) — in a secret manner
  • Polish: potajemnie — in a secret manner
  • Portuguese: secretamente — in a secret manner
  • Russian: та́йно (tájno) — in a secret manner
  • Russian: секре́тно (sekrétno) — in a secret manner
  • Russian: тайко́м (tajkóm) — in a secret manner
  • Russian: вта́йне (vtájne) — in a secret manner
  • Russian: скры́тно (skrýtno) — in a secret manner
  • Sanskrit: सनुतर् (sanutar) — in a secret manner
  • Scottish Gaelic: os ìosal — in a secret manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: кришом — in a secret manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: тајом — in a secret manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: тајно — in a secret manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: krišom — in a secret manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: tajom — in a secret manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: tajno — in a secret manner
  • Southern Altai: јажытту (ǰažïttu) — in a secret manner
  • Spanish: secretamente — in a secret manner
  • Spanish: en secreto — in a secret manner
  • Spanish: caleta — in a secret manner
  • Spanish: a escondidas — in a secret manner
  • Spanish: a escondidillas — in a secret manner
  • Spanish: de extranjis — in a secret manner
  • Spanish: de tapadillo — in a secret manner
  • Tatar: яшерен (yäşeren) — in a secret manner
  • Tatar: яшертен (yäşerten) — in a secret manner
  • Tocharian B: enestai — in a secret manner
  • Turkmen: ýaşyryn — in a secret manner
  • Ukrainian: тає́мно (tajémno) — in a secret manner
  • Uyghur: йошурун (yoshurun) — in a secret manner
  • Uyghur: يوشۇرۇن (yoshurun) — in a secret manner
  • Uzbek: yashirin — in a secret manner
  • Walloon: catchetmint — in a secret manner
Real reading context

secretly in complete knowledge articles