-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

The sites visited on Thursday -- accommodations for scammers from Vietnam and Indonesia, and offices for Chinese bosses, according to the Thai military -- were opposite the O'Smach resort and casino, owned by Cambodian senator and businessman Ly Yong Phat.

From Barron's

Ly Yong Phat in November denied media reports linking him to cybercime and money laundering networks, calling the accusations "fake and damaging to his reputation" in an interview with a Cambodian news outlet.

From Barron's

Elisha, or “Ly” as Maggie now called him, often asked her to address communications to him using false names, “Cousin Peter” or “F. Webster.”

From Literature

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