adjectivally

1 7.6

In a way that describes a person or thing

adverb
/ˌædʒɛkˈtɪvəli/

: adjetivamente

The lack of terminological paradigms as they exist for colors necessitates a linguistic detour through the metaphoric; that is, a breach of reference level in the text each time we attempt to describe smells adjectivally.
functioning adjectivally
participle functioning adjectivally
past participle functioning adjectivally

Examples

The word "happy" is used adjectivally in the phrase "happy child."
"Combined" was only a past participle functioning adjectivally to modify "mind," and the stanza as a whole was not wondering whether the Lady's gentle mind any longer combined with the form that scattered love but rather whether the Lady's gentle mind found sadness.

Academic text (2005)
Each ad shows one member of a figural pair envisioning a Kahlua recipe that is both adjectivally encapsulated in boldface type and imagistically rendered in a photocollage "thought balloon" that springs from that figure's head.

Academic text (2000)
When we describe someone as "intelligent," we are using the term adjectivally.
In the sentence "She was excited to receive the news," the word "excited" modifies the noun and is used adjectivally.

Synonyms

adjectively

vsadjectivally

7.7

In the way a describing word gives information about a noun

has identical meaning but differs as a variant in form or style

Surface Forms

adjectivally positive

Morphology

adjectivally = adjectival (transparent) = adjective + al + ly

The transformation from 'adjectival' to 'adjectivally' is a standard adverbial formation.

Etymology

Adjectivally comes from adjective, which means 'a word that describes', and the ending -ly, which turns a word into an adverb meaning 'in that way'. So to use a word adjectivally is to use it 'as an adjective' to describe something.