Dictionary

privily en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɹɪvɪli/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English prively; equivalent to privy + -ly.

Meanings

1. (archaic) Secretly, in secret; in a private manner; privately.
   • Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 1:19:
   • They moved camp in the morning, without breakfast except for a crumbling chunk of dry pemmican which Aaron chewed privily. 1949, Sinclair Lewis, chapter 36, in The God-Seeker, New York: Popular Library, page 196:
   • That if any person shall be convicted of feloniously stealing any of the before mentioned articles from the person of another, whether privily and without his knowledge, or openly and avowedly before his face, he shall be deemed guilty of an higher species of larceny […] 1785, “An Act for the punishing and preventing of Larcenies”, in The Perpetual Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, from the Establishment of its Constitution in the Year 1780, to the End of the Year 1800, volume 1, Boston, published 1801, page 23:
   • Item, because in the convents of women, men come not but underhand, privily, and by stealth; it was therefore enacted, that in this house there shall be no women in case there be not men, nor men in case there be not women. 1653, François Rabelais, translated by Thomas Urquhart, The Works of Rabelais, London: Chatto & Windus, published 1873, Book I, Chapter LII, p. 105:
   • Thou, Richard, shalt to the Duke of Norfolk, / And tell him privily of our intent. c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
   • Gaveston: Why do you not commit him to the Tower? King Edward: I dare not, for the people love him well. Gaveston: Why, then we'll have him privily made away. 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act II]:
   • ‘I have tidings I know you will be anxious to hear, sweet sister, but they are best spoken of privily.’ 1999, George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 398:
   • […] to cause that foaming in their mouthes, which is fearefull to behold by the standers by, they have this trick, privily to convey a peece of white soape into one corner of their Jawes, which causeth that froth to come boyling forth. 1608, Thomas Dekker, “The Belman of London”, in The Guls Hornbook and The Belman of London, J.M. Dent & Sons, published 1936, page 100:

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