CategoryArchaic Word
Modern Equivalentsecretly; privately.
KJV Word TypeAdverb
DefinitionSecretly; privately; in a hidden manner.
Key Verses"Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." (Matthew 1:19)
KJV Usage NoteMeans privately or secretly, often describing something done without public attention.
Common MisunderstandingIt does not mean proudly or properly; it means secretly or privately.
EtymologyFrom Middle English privily, from Latin privatus ("private").