finely

[fahyn-lee]

See more synonyms for finely on Thesaurus.com

adverb

in a fine manner; excellently; elegantly; delicately; minutely; nicely; subtly.
in fine particles or pieces: finely chopped onions.

Origin of finely

First recorded in 1275–1325, finely is from the Middle English word fineliche. See fine¹, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for finely

Contemporary Examples

It was as finely balanced and perfectly toned as Rivers' funeral.
Melissa Rivers: Life After Joan—A Funny, Moving Celebration on a Special 'Fashion Police'
Tim Teeman
September 20, 2014
The debate about the future, the very existence of the royal family, has always been finely balanced.
Prince George’s First Year Bodes Well for the Survival of the Royals
Tom Sykes
July 22, 2014
Qualms about violence versus sex aside, the book is a finely spun tale.
A Fantasy Titan Invades the YA Kingdom
William O’Connor
July 18, 2014
It requires a finely honed sense of timing and a griddle that has been seasoned just right.
The Real Cheeseburger Paradise
Jane & Michael Stern
June 22, 2014
In a room off the living room, saddles lounge everywhere you look, finely tooled leather saddles, things of great weight and heft.
The Death of a Rodeo Cowboy
Peter Richmond
May 11, 2014

Historical Examples

This trained neutrality of Mrs. Bines served her finely now.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
His figure, although slight, was beautifully symmetrical and finely knit.
Ridgeway
Scian Dubh
Except the very old, whose breasts had fallen, they were finely shaped.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
He praised me greatly for all the care I had taken of his boy; and said, how finely you was come on!
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
How comes he so finely dressed, the son of the modest Nuremberg goldsmith?
Albert Durer
T. Sturge Moore

British Dictionary definitions for finely

finely

adverb

into small pieces; minutely
precisely or subtly
splendidly or delicately

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for finely

adv.

early 14c., "perfectly, completely," from fine (adj.) + -ly (1). Meaning "delicately, minutely" is from 1540s; that of "excellently" is from 1680s.

finely

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Examples from the Web for finely

Contemporary Examples

It was as finely balanced and perfectly toned as Rivers' funeral.

The debate about the future, the very existence of the royal family, has always been finely balanced.

Qualms about violence versus sex aside, the book is a finely spun tale.

It requires a finely honed sense of timing and a griddle that has been seasoned just right.

In a room off the living room, saddles lounge everywhere you look, finely tooled leather saddles, things of great weight and heft.

Historical Examples

This trained neutrality of Mrs. Bines served her finely now.

His figure, although slight, was beautifully symmetrical and finely knit.

Except the very old, whose breasts had fallen, they were finely shaped.

He praised me greatly for all the care I had taken of his boy; and said, how finely you was come on!

How comes he so finely dressed, the son of the modest Nuremberg goldsmith?

finely

Word Origin and History for finely

adv.

Origin of finely