adverb

secretly

secretly

He secretly planned a surprise party.

He secretly planned a surprise party.

They met secretly after school.

They met secretly after school.

((modifies a verb)) to do sth. secretly They met secretly after school.

Synonyms: covertly, furtively; Antonyms: openly, publicly

From the noun 'secret' plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly', meaning 'in a secret manner'.

Imagine a spy doing something 'secretly' in the shadows. The '-ly' tells you it describes *how* an action is done.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.