stealth

1 of 2

noun

1
: a cautious, unobtrusive, and secretive way of moving or proceeding intended to avoid detection
Makos, among the fastest of sharks, chase down their prey. Slower species … rely on stealth and explosive power.Steve Kemper
The intricate labor … required courage and stealth.Sue M. Halpern
As we walked closer we began treading with exaggerated stealth until we came very close …Dorothy Dimsdale
A thief does his work in secret and by stealth.Harry Shaw
2
: an aircraft-design characteristic consisting of oblique angular construction and avoidance of vertical surfaces that is intended to produce a very weak radar return
usually used before another noun
a stealth bomber/fighter
stealth aircraft
stealth technology
3
a
archaic : theft
b
obsolete : something stolen

stealth

2 of 2

adjective

1
: intended not to attract attention : stealthy
a stealth campaign
… the company has operated in stealth mode until now.Steve Silberman
Her team seemed to communicate with a secret stealth language …E. L. Konigsburg
see also stealth entry 1 sense 2
2
medical : involving or caused by an asymptomatic or presymptomatic infectious individual : silent sense 6b
stealth spread/transmission of a contagious disease

Examples of stealth in a Sentence

Noun The fox uses stealth and cunning to hunt its prey. Adjective the SWAT team carried out a stealth raid on the house, which was believed to be harboring a terrorist cell
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Through her stealth and scheming and, yes, killing, Rhiannon develops something like self-esteem. Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024 And the stealth with which the crew operates in plain sight is less for the purpose of secrecy but more to avoid altering the environment. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The flagship liter-class motorcycle features full carbon fiber bodywork and comes in an all-black stealth avatar. New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024 The company has raised $2.5 million (€2.2 million) despite still being in stealth mode. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stealth 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stealth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stelthe; akin to Old English stelan to steal

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Adjective

1979, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stealth was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stealth

Cite this Entry

“Stealth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stealth. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

stealth

1 of 2 noun
1
: sly or secret action
2
: a design style intended to make an aircraft difficult to detect by radar

stealth

2 of 2 adjective
: intended not to attract attention : stealthy sense 2
a stealth campaign

More from Merriam-Webster on stealth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!