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

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

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead of a simple wave moving cleanly across the ocean, the satellite data revealed a surprisingly intricate pattern of waves spreading, interacting, and scattering across the basin.

From Science Daily

In conventional computing, it is often possible to cleanly separate software from hardware, or a "functional level" from an "implementation level."

From Science Daily

A straight left from the champion's southpaw stance landed cleanly and regularly in the third round as the gap in class became increasingly clear.

From BBC

They’re responding to an economy where the usual advice no longer lines up cleanly with outcomes.

From The Wall Street Journal