resolutely

American

[rez-uh-loot-lee, rez-uh-loot-] / ˈrɛz əˌlut li, ˌrɛz əˈlut- /

adverb

in a determined or firm manner.

After more than 120 days on strike, the union continues to resolutely reject management’s demands for reductions in the workers' collective bargaining agreement and pension plan.

Other Word Forms

overresolutely adverb
semiresolutely adverb
unresolutely adverb

Etymology

Origin of resolutely

resolute ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

When you do something resolutely, you are determined to make it happen. If you resolutely sit down and do your math homework, you'll work hard at it until it's done. The adverb resolutely is perfect for describing something you do in a strong, purposeful way. You might resolutely decide to clean your room, and immediately make your bed and start filling up a garbage bag. Strangely, the original meaning of resolutely and its adjective form, resolute, was almost completely opposite to its meaning now: it meant "dissolved, or of loose structure," from a Latin root word, resolvere, "untie, unfasten, or loose."

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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.

Wedged between the mountains and the sea on the French Riviera, Monaco is the world's second smallest state after the Vatican, and resolutely Catholic.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The whole side were on the cusp of doing just that after refusing to show Barcelona undue respect, and defending resolutely for so long.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Beijing will "resolutely" protect Chinese companies, it added in a statement urging Brussels to "immediately correct its wrong practices".

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Committed to kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws, they resolutely refused any of the meager food offered at the camp, and “allowed themselves to die of starvation.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

The seismologists resolutely based their conclusions on the behavior of Hawaiian volcanoes, which don’t blow out sideways.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023