-ly

American  

1. a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives: gladly; gradually; secondly.

2. a suffix meaning “every,” attached to certain nouns denoting units of time: hourly; daily.

3. an adjective suffix meaning “-like”: saintly; cowardly.

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-ly ¹ British  

suffix

1. having the nature or qualities of

   brotherly

   godly

2. occurring at certain intervals; every

   daily

   yearly

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-ly ² British  

suffix

1. in a certain manner; to a certain degree

   quickly

   recently

   chiefly

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ly ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

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Etymology

Origin of -ly

Middle English adverb -li, -lich(e), Old English -līce ( -līc adjective suffix + -e adverb suffix); Middle English adjective -li, -ly, -lich(e), Old English -līc (cognate with German -lich ), suffixal use of gelīc “similar to, like”; like ¹

Example Sentences

Near a migrant reception centre in Las Palmas, a major city in the Canary Islands, Ousmane Ly, a recently arrived 25-year-old Senegalese man, gazed at the beach.

From Barron's

Just over a week later, Cambodian authorities took into custody Ly Kuong, 49, a Cambodian casino and real-estate tycoon, and charged him with fraud, money laundering and exploitation of illegally recruited workers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Neither Chen nor Ly Kuong could be reached for comment and the Chinese Embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cambodian officials have said the arrests of Chen and Ly Kuong are part of a continuing crackdown on the scam industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ly Yong Phat couldn’t be reached for comment, while his company LYP Group, which was also sanctioned by the U.S., declined to comment.

From The Wall Street Journal