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.

---

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

---

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

Each slice cuts cleanly, like something that has been thought through.

From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026

Keller then won it, taking a long Taylor Heise pass on the left wing, racing into the Canadian zone, stickhandling around defender Claire Thompson before beating goalie Desbiens cleanly.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

I couldn’t fig- ure out exactly what this word meant, whether it meant broken in one or several places, cleanly or badly, and I didn’t ask.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles