Abscondingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. To leave hurriedly and secretly, often to avoid legal prosecution or consequences
2. to depart unannounced with the intent to escape from obligations or duties
3. acting in a manner that involves stealth and evasion to avoid detection or required accountability

Etymology: "Abscondingly" is simply "absconding" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly". "Abscond" comes from Latin "abscondere", meaning "to hide away" or "to put out of sight", built from "ab" ("away") and "condere" ("to put together, store, hide"). The Latin verb gave English a sense of concealment that quickly took on the flavour of flight: to abscond is to hide oneself, usually after leaving in a hurry to avoid arrest or pursuit, and so the word became attached to fleeing debtors, embezzlers and runaways. The adjective "absconding" is the present participle of the verb, and adding "-ly" turns it into an adverb describing the manner of the action. Because it is an ordinary formation from existing parts, the adverb has no separate history of its own; its meaning follows directly from the sense of the verb, so someone who acts "abscondingly" leaves quietly and suddenly, as a fugitive would.