supremelyadv.
/sᵿˈpriːmli/, /suːˈpriːmli/, /sjᵿˈpriːmli/, /sjuːˈpriːmli/, U.S. /səˈprimli/, /suˈprimli/ 1. By or with supreme authority or power.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > [adverb] > with supreme authority
sovereignlyc1375
supremelyc1475
imperially1479
imperiously1593
c1475–1600 (a1473) J. Fortescue Declaration in Wks. (1869) I. 531 No woman may suppremely reigne vpon man.
1596 E. L. Romes Monarchie ii. sig. B3 Those lawes brought home the publike state, & weale, Rechanged was from Consuls two as then To Decemuirs supremely that did deale With euery cause, asmuch to say Tenne men.
1658 J. Durham Comm. Bk. Revelation 444 The Pope..deposing Kings and disposing of their Kingdoms at his pleasure, supreamly and soveraignly to decide all questions whatsoever, and that without all possibility of erring.
1687 A. Lovell tr. J. de Thévenot Trav. into Levant i. 65 All suits are there supreamly decided.
1738 tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. (ed. 2) I. 120 The senate decided supremely, and there lay no appeal from it.
1746 London Mag. Nov. 549/1 If such a Government be supremely administered by a sole Monarch, he must have a mercenary Army for his Support.
1822 Ann. Reg. 1821 204/2 These authorities..former themselves into juntas, and decided supremely on the affairs of their respective provinces.
1890 C. Morris Civilization viii. 211 The virtual kingship of the mediæval nobles became an acknowledged kingship of the modern German nobles, each of whom ruled supremely over his minor portion of the general domain.
1908 tr. L. Pastor Hist. Popes VII. ii. 80 The house of Medici practically governed supremely.
1994 M. A. Ladero Quesada in S. B. Schwartz Implicit Understandings (1996) iii. 124 They exercised their legislative power supremely.
2. In the highest degree; to the greatest extent.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > in the greatest degree or most > in or to the highest degree
principallyc1390
speciallya1425
consummately1529
extremelya1533
out1555
pre-eminently1590
superlatively1596
supremely1597
supereminently1610
super-superlatively1632
ad extremum1640
highest1726
supernally1874
1597 Bp. J. King Lect. Ionas i. 2 They knowe that one Lord was the originall fountaine of them all, who being supremely good, wrought and spake perfect goodnesse.
?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xxiv. 24 The supremely strenuous Of all the Greeke hoast.
1696 N. Tate & N. Brady New Version Psalms of David c. iv For He's the Lord, supreamly good.
1718 M. Prior Solomon on Vanity i, in Poems Several Occasions (new ed.) 399 The fair Cedar, on the craggy Brow Of Lebanon nodding supremely tall.
1781 W. Cowper Let. 17 Dec. (1979) I. 559 It is th' allotment of the skies, The Hand of the Supremely Wise.
1848 Amer. Phrenol. Jrnl. & Misc. 10 216 How supremely ridiculous the idea..that the mere form of the dress can add one iota to the reputableness of the wearer.
1865 E. C. Clayton Cruel Fortune I. 123 That young person..was supremely jealous of every new pet her mistress took a fancy to.
1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ Valerie's Fate vi Those [moments]..dwelt forever in the memory of both as supremely blissful.
1908 E. F. Benson Climber 173 She knew, supremely well, how large a part of life is played by palate and digestion.
1950 L. A. G. Strong Which I Never v. 169 She was grossly overworked and supremely happy.
1998 A. Quinton Hume 58 He was both supremely intelligent and extraordinarily clever.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.c1475