cleanly

American  

[klen-lee, kleen-lee] / ˈklɛn li, ˈklin li /

adjective

cleanlier, cleanliest

1. personally neat; careful to keep or make clean.

   The cat is by nature a cleanly animal.

2. habitually kept clean.

3. Obsolete. cleansing; making clean.

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adverb

1. in a clean manner.

cleanly British  

/ ˈklɛnlɪnɪs, ˈklɛnlɪlɪ /

adverb

1. in a fair manner

2. easily or smoothly

   the screw went into the wood cleanly

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adjective

1. habitually clean or neat

Other Word Forms

• cleanlily adverb
• cleanliness noun

Etymology

Origin of cleanly

before 900; Middle English clenlich ( e ), Old English clǣnlīc, equivalent to clǣne clean + -līc -ly

Example Sentences

Had she landed it cleanly, she would have won a medal.

From BBC

Fear tripped on the second element of their free-dance routine, and despite skating cleanly for the remainder it proved too much of an obstacle to overcome.

From BBC

The move requires a skater to launch themselves into a jump, spin four and a half times in the air, and cleanly land backwards.

From BBC

But in reality they behave differently because of the number of elements they comprise, which has required revised combustion systems to ensure the fuel burns cleanly.

From BBC

The analysts caution, however, that momentum may not carry cleanly into the coming year.

From The Wall Street Journal