adverb
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with ease; without difficulty or exertion
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by far; beyond question; undoubtedly
he is easily the best in the contest
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probably; almost certainly
he may easily come first
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of easily
First recorded in 1250–1300, easily is from the Middle English word esily. See easy, -ly
Explanation
Things that happen easily don't require a lot of effort. When your old car starts easily on a very cold morning, you'll breathe a sigh of relief. While you can only climb a mountain with difficulty, you can probably climb the stairs in your house easily. You can also use this adverb to mean something closer to "quickly," as when you describe your puppy as easily distracted with treats or yourself as easily bored by long books. The Old French root of easily is aisie, "comfortable" or "at ease."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Foreign companies began releasing cyber-capable models with weak, easily removable safeguards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
Called hydro-entanglement, it forms the new fabric without the need for resin binders, making the new product more easily recyclable.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
In these extreme circumstances, you can easily see the need for his family to have the same sort of plan.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026
The images revealed a surprisingly intricate microscopic environment, complete with structural differences that affect where bacteria can settle and how easily they can reach the material inside.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
Rowan, no longer weighed down by the pack on his back, found he was able to keep up quite easily, despite his bruises.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
