steadily

American  

[sted-i-lee] / ˈstɛd ɪ li /

adverb

1. in a way that moves constantly and at an even pace or in the same direction.

   My dedication and commitment to teaching are proven by my steadily increasing student evaluation scores.

   Despite numerous legislative attempts to constrain spending over the past 40 years, the deficit problem has marched steadily on.

2. in a continuous, uniform way.

   It rained steadily all day yesterday and by evening the river was almost overflowing.

3. in a calm, fixed, or unwavering way.

   He just stood there, holding his ground and gazing steadily at her, into those dark eyes.

4. in a firm, stable way.

   Binoculars with larger magnification tend to be overly bulky and difficult to hold steadily.

5. in a determined, persevering, or resolute way.

   She told him, “Seek peace of mind and hold steadily to your faith.”

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Other Word Forms

• oversteadily
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of steadily

steady ( def. ) + -ly

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Explanation

Something that happens steadily occurs at a predictable, reliable, unchanging pace. If it keeps raining for hours, it's been raining steadily. If you stand outside without an umbrella, you will steadily get drenched. Anything that keeps happening at a regular clip is happening steadily. A politician who campaigns every day for months has been campaigning steadily. If you write an hour a day on a novel, the novel is growing steadily. The opposite of steadily is unsteadily, which would describe something that happens in an irregular, shaky, or unpredictable way. Anything done steadily goes on and on.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

steadily

So, their focus is seeking to steadily build the case for independence in how they choose to govern.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

It ranks 159 out of 193 countries on the United Nations' Human Development Index, although it is steadily improving.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Across the European Union, government welfare spending has steadily grown from just 10% of economic output in the early 1960s to an average of 27% today, compared with about 21% in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Researchers have demonstrated that it can operate steadily for more than 24 hours without intervention.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

If he could breathe steadily, that meant there was no smoke.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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Related Words

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