Where Did Furtive Come from?

Furtive has a shadowy history. It may have slipped into English directly from Latin or it may have covered its tracks by arriving via French. (The French furtif derived from the Latin furtivus.) But however "furtive" got into English, the Latin word fur, meaning "thief," is at the root.

Does furtive mean sneaky?

If you're looking for a formal adjective to describe something sly or secret, sneak in furtive. ... The adjective, furtive, is related to fūrtum, the Latin word for theft or robbery. This is apparent as the expressions "to give someone a furtive glance" and "to steal a glance at someone" mean the same thing.

Is Furtiveness a real word?

Use the noun furtiveness when you describe the quality of being sly, or a tendency to be sneaky.