sternly
Americanadverb
-
in a firm, strict, or austere way.
Unless the government sternly cracks down on the underground economy, citizens will never pay their taxes diligently.
-
in a harsh, severe, or grim way.
Any baker caught mixing sawdust with bread or butcher selling horse meat as beef was immediately and sternly punished.
Etymology
Origin of sternly
First recorded before 1000; stern 1 ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
"When you have lightning less than three miles away that’s a mandatory evacuation," a US Secret Service officer said sternly to a family that was protesting.
From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026
Coming down sternly against the fake judgements, the top court last Friday stayed the lower court's order on the property dispute.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
Faithful ally Eric Nam sternly points out to him that his rants are throwing off everyone else’s game.
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026
Just before we made a 45-minute stop at the station, which is surrounded by a grim neighborhood, an Amtrak staffer took the microphone to sternly address the coach-class travelers.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
The detention aide got up from her desk and sternly warned us, “Mr. McClaren and Miss Gaither,” to be on our best behavior while she left the room for a few minutes.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
