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
The “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check” and “Calm Down” rap veteran, 53, sternly set the record straight for the social media troll during an exchange Sunday at Art Basel in Miami Beach.
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.
