Obreptitiously

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that involves deceit or the use of misrepresentation to achieve an aim
2. By means of trickery or underhanded misrepresentation
3. Through deceptive or misleading methods that involve concealing the truth

Etymology: "Obreptitiously" is the adverb form of "obreptitious," meaning by deceitful means or by stealth, and it is built by adding the English suffix "-ly" to that adjective. The adjective in turn descends from Latin "obreptitius," formed from "obreptus," the past participle of "obripere," meaning to seize or creep upon, a verb built from "ob-" (toward or against) and "rapere," to snatch. So the root sense is of something snatched or crept upon from an unexpected direction. Anyone who has seen "obreptitious" in a legal or formal setting will recognise the logic: the adverb simply describes an action carried out in that sneaking, underhand manner. Because the adjective is the older and more established form, the adverb follows its meaning closely without any independent history of its own.