ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cleanly

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɫinɫi// clean·ly Archaic

adv. in a smooth, neat, or efficient way. You use this when someone does something without making a mess or a mistake.

adv. in a manner that is smooth, efficient, and free from obstruction or mess. Often describes physical movements or technical performance.


SIMPLE

The knife cuts through the bread cleanly.

CONTEXTUAL

The athlete jumped cleanly over the final hurdle to win the race without touching the bar.

COMPLEX

The new software update installed cleanly on all devices, avoiding the compatibility issues that had plagued previous versions of the operating system.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English clenly, clenliche, clanly, from Old English clǣnlīċ (“cleanly, pure, excellent”), equivalent to clean + -ly.

Etymology 2

From Middle English clenly, clenli, clenliche, from Old English clǣnlīċe (“cleanly”), equivalent to clean + -ly.

Usage

Manner adverb — typically follows the verb or the direct object.

Pitfall

The car runs clean.The car runs cleanly.While 'clean' can be an informal adverb, 'cleanly' is the standard form for describing the manner of an action.

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