furtive

/ˈfɜːtɪv/

//ˈfɜːtɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"furtive" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“furtive” is uncommon English (frequency #53,563 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,563
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-furtive · furtive · English

furtive · rank #53,563 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,563
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH frothing

Nearest frequency peer: frothing (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “furtive”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “furtive” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for furtive
PropertyValue
Headwordfurtive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɜːtɪv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#53,563
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “furtive” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).furtivefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “frothing” (#53,562), “frolicking” (#53,561), “friendzone” (#53,560). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “furtive” is #53,563. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

furtive is uncommon English at frequency #53,563 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈfɜːtɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

furtive has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English *furtyve (implied in furtyvely (adverb)), from Middle French furtif, furtive (“furtive, stealthy”) (modern French furtif), from Latin fūrtīvus (“clandestine, furtive, secret; concealed, hidden; stolen”), from fūrtum (“theft; robbery”) (f… The correct English form is furtive, spelled F-U-R-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy.
  2. 2
    Of a thing: that has been acquired by theft; stolen; also (generally) taken stealthily.
  3. 3
    Of a person or an animal: sly, stealthy.
  4. 4
    Of a person, etc.: inclined to steal; pilfering, thieving.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how furtive appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] The Defendant never vvas acknovvledged by the Sieur Harrouard’s Family, nor by that of his VVife. Thus, granting him to have been in Poſſeſſion of his Son’s Eſtate, it vvould only be a furtive and clandeſtine, not a public and avovved Poſſeſſion; and conſequently ſuch a Poſſeſſion as is incapable of founding a juſt and legal Title.
  2. [T]ender cares and mild domestic Loves, / With furtive watch, pursue her [a swan] as she moves; […]

Etymology

From Middle English *furtyve (implied in furtyvely (adverb)), from Middle French furtif, furtive (“furtive, stealthy”) (modern French furtif), from Latin fūrtīvus (“clandestine, furtive, secret; concealed, hidden; stolen”), from fūrtum (“theft; robbery”) (from fūr (“thief”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”)) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives).

This word in other languages

furtivo(Español)furtif(Français)verstohlen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "furtive"?
"furtive" is spelled F-U-R-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɜːtɪv/.
What does "furtive" mean?
As an adjective, "furtive" means: Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy.
How do you pronounce "furtive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "furtive" is /ˈfɜːtɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "furtive"?
From Middle English *furtyve (implied in furtyvely (adverb)), from Middle French furtif, furtive (“furtive, stealthy”) (modern French furtif), from Latin fūrtīvus (“clandestine, furtive, secret; concealed, hidden; stolen”), from fūrtum (“theft; ro... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "furtive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Gennaro#53,572Fonseca#53,553Gosford#53,577flapper#53,546

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list