clearlyadv.
/ˈklɪəli/, U.S. /ˈklɪ(ə)rli/ In a clear manner.† 1. Brightly; luminously; transparently. Obsolete (except as blended with 2).† 7. Honestly; straightforwardly, frankly. Obsolete.† 8. Thoroughly; completely; unreservedly; entirely; = cleanly adv. Obsolete.† 9. Without deduction, net; = clear adj. 16. Obsolete.† 10. Without entanglement or embarrassment; = clear adj. 18. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > transparency or translucence > [adverb]
clearlya1375
tralucently1597
transparently1617
translucently1643
diaphanously1683
pellucidly1754
liquidly1821
the world > matter > light > intensity of light > [adverb] > brightly
brighteOE
lightOE
shireOE
fairOE
brightlyOE
sheen?c1225
shirelyc1230
sheenly1340
clearlya1375
shininglyc1384
clearc1385
cleana1400
shrillc1400
enclerea1440
lucidentlyc1508
sheerly1508
splendently1576
shiny1596
nitently1657
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 4422 Into a choys chaumber þe clerli was peinted.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vi. 100 The moyn wes schynand rycht cleirly.
1535 Bp. J. Fisher Wks. 381 They bee the brighter glasses and more cleerly receyue this loue.
1651 Ld. Orrery Parthenissa I. i. i. 46 I have discover'd so many fresh Graces in her, and those shine so cleerely.
a1656 Bp. J. Hall Invisible World i. §2 The spiritual agility and clearly-lightsome nature of that whereby they are enlived.
2. With optical distinctness; without obscurity; opposed to dimly.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > visibility > [adverb] > clearly visible > sharply or distinctly
brightlyOE
clearlyc1300
fairc1390
vively1537
bremely1577
in focus1785
sharply1817
trenchantly1873
eidetically1929
c1300 St. Brandan 461 Hi seȝe in the see as clerliche as hi scholde alonde.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 38 Þanne we him ssolle ysy face to face clyerlyche.
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Mark viii. 25 He is restorid, so that he syȝ clerely alle thingis.
1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 243/3 The more he wente..the more clerlyer he sawe.
1820 J. Keats Isabella in Lamia & Other Poems 72 Clearly she saw..Pale limbs at bottom of a crystal well.
1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. §11. 79 The top of the mountain rose clearly above us.
3. Of mental vision: With undimmed perception, with full and complete understanding; distinctly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > [adverb] > clearly
i-redlyOE
plainlya1398
cleara1400
clearly1413
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > sharpness, shrewdness, insight > [adverb] > with clarity
cleara1400
clearly1413
perspicuously1602
perspicaciously1662
1413 J. Lydgate Pilgr. of Sowle (1483) iv. ii. 59 That thou knowe clerely how that this drye tree was restablysshed.
c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn l. 3867 They perseyvid clerelich in þe plee þurh-oute, Hir ffrendis had þe wors side.
1790 E. Burke Refl. Revol. in France 53 Not clearly discerning the almost obliterated constitution of your ancestors. View more context for this quotation
1854 R. W. Emerson Lett. & Social Aims in Wks. (1906) III. 153 There is no choice of words for him who clearly sees the truth.
1863 ‘G. Eliot’ Romola II. xii. 134 He had begun to see clearly that he could not persuade her into assent.
1884 W. E. Gladstone in Standard 29 Feb. 2/5 I hope that will be clearly understood.
4. With clearness and distinctness of expression or exposition; plainly.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > clarity > [adverb]
openlyOE
clearly1340
lightsomely?1510
perspicuously1592
luculently1613
dilucidly1638
lucidlyc1705
luminously1816
transpicuously1852
pellucidly1868
limpidly1870
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 174 He ssel zigge his zennes clyerliche and nakedliche.
1388 Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) Isa. Prol. The sacramens of ther beleeue to shewe ful clerly to the hethene.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 18851 Clerli spak he þat he wald.
a1535 T. More Treat. Passion in Wks. (1557) 1322/1 For to declare the more clearelye, that the cause of his desyre, was, etc.
1611 Bible (King James) Job xxxiii. 3 My lippes shall vtter knowledge clearely . View more context for this quotation
1647 A. Cowley Mistresse 110 Nor does the Cause in thy Face clearelier shine, Than the Effect appeares in mine.
1884 B. Bosanquet et al. tr. H. Lotze Metaphysic 356 To put the matter shortly and clearly.
5.
a. Manifestly; evidently.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > manifestation > manifestness > [adverb]
couthlyc900
sutelichec900
openlyOE
witterlyc1175
kithlya1300
witnessfullyc1374
evidentlya1382
plainlya1382
graithc1394
eberlya1400
express14..
manifest1431
patently1441
manifestlyc1475
evident?1520
grossly1526
apparently1533
clear1550
apparent1565
clearly1569
notoriously1589
plain1590
perspicuously1592
perspectively1598
transparently1617
liquidlya1631
visibly1631
obviously1638
fairly1655
perspiculously1661
remarkably1666
squarely1860
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 287 But Britaine was clerely excepted.
a1616 W. Shakespeare King John (1623) iii. iv. 122 In this which he accounts so clearely wonne. View more context for this quotation
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iii. xxxv. 218 There be many other places that clearly prove the same.
1752 S. Johnson Rambler No. 191. ⁋14 They, who have been so clearly detected in ignorance or imposture.
1875 W. S. Jevons Money (1878) 20 A statement clearly implying that skins were taken as the representative of value.
b. Used parenthetically, =.., it is clear,..; the truth or correctness of the assertion being the thing that is clear.
ΚΠ
1867 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. App. 744 This version is clearly wrong.
1871 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues IV. 169 He was clearly not aware of the importance of the principle.
1879 W. B. Carpenter Princ. Mental Physiol. (ed. 5) i. ii. §67 The animal has clearly no power over them.
6. With distinctness of sound; audibly.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > audibility > [adverb] > clear
brightOE
bremelya1375
clearly1382
plainish1833
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > quality of voice > [adverb] > clear
clearly1382
cleara1500
crystallya1690
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) 1 Sam. xiv. 19 Greet noyse is out sprongen..and it wexe litilmele, and cleerliker it sownyde.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xiv. 207 That the sownde was herde in-to the Citee clerly.
1721 London Gaz. No. 6002/3 Does not pronounce his Words clearly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > sincerity, freedom from deceit > [adverb]
utterly?c1225
entirelya1340
faithlyc1350
without (but) feigningc1380
clearly1389
whollyc1390
unfeigninglyc1400
entirec1430
unfeigneda1469
without coloura1513
honestly1526
singly1526
unfeignedly1526
uncolourably1541
bona fide1542
frankly?1553
sincerely1560
squarely1564
uprightly1565
square1577
single-mindedly1579
undissemblinglyc1585
above board1599
fair and square1604
downright1607
downrightly1632
really1641
uncasuistly1649
honest1654
up tro1654
plain-heartedly1675
unaffectedly1677
straightforwardly1839
wholeheartedly1845
unfallaciously1852
up and down1854
single-heartedly1857
unflatteringly1874
uncynically1895
square on1963
1389 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 4 So þt þe wardeins mowe here acompt ȝeld clerelich.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1546) sig. T.vijv I thanke the goddes immortall, that haue suffred me to lyue so clerely.
?1606 M. Drayton Ode ii, in Poemes sig. B3 Thy auncient vigils yearely that haue obserued cleerely thy feasts yet smoking be.
1629 Vse of Law 33 in J. Doddridge Lawyers Light If an heire..doe not deale clearely with the Court, when he is sued; that is, if he come not immediately by.
a1694 J. Tillotson Wks. (1820) I. 382 Deal clearly and impartially with yourselves.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > completeness > [adverb]
fullyeOE
allesOE
fullOE
rightc1175
everydealc1300
wholec1300
whollya1325
finelyc1330
fairly1340
completec1374
gainlya1375
clearly1377
freelya1393
plaina1393
entire?a1400
entirelyc1400
oddlyc1400
sufficientlyc1440
expressc1475
totally1509
completely1526
finec1530
exactly?1531
sincerely1576
start1599
fillingly1611
circularly1618
solid1651
out-over1745
rotundly1775
roundedly?1802
whole hog1840
clear-away1883
whole cloth1917
righteous1948
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B xviii. 389 Thei shul be clensed clereliche & wasshen of her synnes In my prisoun purgatorie.
c1440 Generydes 1063 The kyng hym gaue clerly an Erlys lande.
1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Surueyeng i. f. 1 Lette a man make a castell, towre, or any maner of newe buyldinges and finysshe it clerely.
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 685 Clerely to extinguish all the house of Yorke.
1633 T. James Strange Voy. 105 When the snow was cleerliest gone off the ground.
1658 Sir T. Browne Hydriotaphia: Urne-buriall iii. 35 The bones were not so clearly pickt, but some coals were found amongst them.
?1790 Longueville's Eng. Hermit (new ed.) 77 They went clearly [1727–89 clear] away.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > deduction > [adverb] > free from deduction or remaining after deduction
clearly?1462
?1462 J. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 99 Havyng a certeyn pension for her sustentacion payid clerly in mony withowt any charge.
1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Surueyeng xii. f. 22v Ldes to the value of .xl.s. clerely aboue all charges.
a1631 R. Cotton Abstr. Rec. Tower (1642) 25 By which his Majesty should gaine ten hundred thousand pound cleerely.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > easiness > [adverb] > without hindrance or encumberment
freelyeOE
wellOE
freec1250
glidderly13..
without (also but) lettingc1330
oliver current1466
smootha1500
pronewise1585
currently1586
glib1594
glibly1607
clearly1612
swimminglya1640
smoothly1668
uninterrupted1677
unobstructedly1788
smack-smooth1802
sweetly1825
sweet1846
unimpededly1846
hitchlessly1910
1612 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 74 He that doth not divide, will never enter well into businesse; and he that devideth too much, will never come out of it clearely.
1663 W. Charleton Chorea Gigantum 12 Over which the other leaped cleerly, without so much as ever touching it.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1889; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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