-ly
Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
-ly 1
suff.
1. Like; resembling; having the characteristics of: sisterly.
2. Recurring at a specified interval of time: hourly.
[Middle English -li, from Old English -līc (influenced by Old Norse -ligr); see līk- in Indo-European roots.]
-ly 2
suff.
1. In a specified manner; in the manner of: gradually.
2. At a specified interval of time: weekly.
3. With respect to: partly.
[Middle English -li, from Old English -līce (influenced by Old Norse -liga), from -līc, adj. suff.; see līk- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
-ly
suffix forming adjectives
1. having the nature or qualities of: brotherly; godly.
2. occurring at certain intervals; every: daily; yearly.
[Old English -lic]
-ly
suffix forming adverbs
in a certain manner; to a certain degree: quickly; recently; chiefly.
[Old English -lice, from -lic -ly1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
-ly
1. a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives: gladly; gradually; secondly.
2. a suffix meaning “every,” attached to nouns denoting units of time: hourly; daily.
3. an adjective suffix meaning “-like”: saintly; cowardly.
[(adv.) Middle English -li, -lich(e), Old English -līce (-līc adj. suffix + -e adv. suffix); (adj.) Middle English -li, -ly, -lich(e), Old English -līc, suffixal use of gelīc like1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.