In a sneaky, secretive, or stealthy way; done in a manner meant to avoid notice or detection.
From Latin 'furtivus' meaning 'stolen,' derived from 'furtum' (theft). It came to English through Old French and has meant 'secretive' or 'stealthy' since the 1400s.
The word contains 'furtum,' which is literally about stolen goods, so when you do something 'furtively,' you're acting like a thief sneaking around—even if you're just glancing at someone!
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