secretly

se·cret  (skrt)

adj.

1. Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed.

2. Dependably discreet.

3. Operating in a hidden or confidential manner: a secret agent.

4. Not expressed; inward: their secret thoughts.

5. Not frequented; secluded: wandered about the secret byways of Paris.

6. Known or shared only by the initiated: secret rites.

7. Beyond ordinary understanding; mysterious.

8. Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a grave threat to national security.

n.

1. Something kept hidden from others or known only to oneself or to a few.

2. Something that remains beyond understanding or explanation; a mystery.

3. A method or formula on which success is based: The secret of this dish is in the sauce.

4. Secret A variable prayer said after the Offertory and before the Preface in the Mass.

---

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin scrtus, from past participle of scernere, to set aside : s-, apart; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots + cernere, to separate; see krei- in Indo-European roots.]

---

secret·ly adv.

Synonyms: secret, stealthy, covert, clandestine, furtive, surreptitious, underhand
These adjectives mean deliberately hidden from view or knowledge. Secret is the most general: a desk with a secret compartment; secret negotiations.
Stealthy suggests quiet, cautious deceptiveness intended to escape notice: heard stealthy footsteps on the stairs.
Covert describes something that is concealed or disguised: protested covert actions undertaken by the CIA.
Clandestine implies stealth and secrecy for the concealment of an often illegal or improper purpose: clandestine intelligence operations.
Furtive suggests the slyness, shiftiness, and evasiveness of a thief: a menacing and furtive look to his eye.
Something surreptitious is stealthy, furtive, and often unseemly or unethical: the surreptitious mobilization of troops preparing for a sneak attack.
Underhand implies unfairness, deceit, or slyness as well as secrecy: achieved success by underhand methods.

Thesaurus

Adv.	1.	secretly - in secrecy; not openly; "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" in secret, on the Q.T., on the QT
	2.	secretly - not openly; inwardly; "they were secretly delighted at his embarrassment"; "hoped secretly she would change her mind"

---

secretly

adverb in secret, privately, surreptitiously, quietly, covertly, behind closed doors, in confidence, in your heart, furtively, in camera, confidentially, on the fly (slang), chiefly Brit. stealthily, under the counter, clandestinely, unobserved, on the sly, in your heart of hearts, behind (someone's) back, in your innermost thoughts, on the q.t. (informal)

Translations

secretly [ˈsiːkrɪtlɪ] adv → en secreto

secretly [ˈsiːkrɪtlɪ] adv → en secret, secrètement, en cachette

secretly [ˈsiːkrɪtlɪ] secret adv → heimlich;

(hope) → insgeheim

secretly [ˈsiːkrɪtlɪ] adv → in segreto, segretamente