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adverbially

adverbially

1 7.7
In a way that describes when, where, or how something happens
  • adverb
  • /ædˈvɜrbiəli/
: adverbialmente
  • In the sentence 'She runs adverbially fast to catch the bus', the word modifies the verb.
  • adverbially good

Examples

  • A mode for him qualifies the world "adverbially"; it modifies ongoing activity, enabling us to experience the world historically, practically, scientifically, poetically, as we choose.

    Academic text (1991)
  • "Capable" applies legitimately only to entities that can act; Van and VN absurdly apply it to the landscape, and then, adverbially, to the way the landscape skims past Van's train window.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The phrase 'quickly eat' shows how the adverb adverbially modifies the verb.

  • When describing how he speaks, you might say he talks adverbially softly to keep the conversation calm.

Surface Forms

adverbially positive

Morphology

adverbially = adverbial (transparent) = adverb + ial + ly

Formed by adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'adverbial', which itself is transparently formed from 'adverb' + '-ial'.

Etymology

Adverbially comes from ad- 'to' and verb 'word', and it is built from adverb, which is something 'to the word' that gives extra information. So adverbially means 'in an adverb way' and is used to add or change information about a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.