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• ably
  ably

  adverb

  in an able manner; with skill or ability; competently.
• -ably
  -ably

  a suffix combining -able and -ly that forms adverbs corresponding to adjectives ending in -able: commendably; dependably; tolerably .

ably

¹ American  

[ey-blee] / ˈeɪ bli /

adverb

1. in an able manner; with skill or ability; competently.

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-ably ² American  

1. a suffix combining -able and -ly that forms adverbs corresponding to adjectives ending in -able: commendably; dependably; tolerably .

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ably British  

/ ˈeɪblɪ /

adverb

1. in a competent or skilful manner

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Etymology

Origin of ably

First recorded in 1350–1400, ably is from the Middle English word abelli. See able, -ly

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ably -ably

He was ably supported by Barcelona's Pedro, an emerging talent with only eight caps at the time, while Liverpool's Fernando Torres appeared off the bench.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

He ably and honorably served his state and country, is widely respected by colleagues, and was loyal to the president’s agenda.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

“We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● May 3, 2026

You’ve now connected up, and I think this actually was ably done in the Hungarian messaging too, corruption and the cost of living, right?

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

I was confident, but the day before, we held a mock debate in which the journalist Allister Sparks ably performed as Mr. de Klerk.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

This festival's credo - "Life, liberty and the pursuit of rock!" -ably sums up its mission.

From New York Times ● May 7, 2010

Related Words

• adroitly
• competently