Word
expressly
Phoneticsex·press·ly, stress on the second syllable
US/ɛksˈpɹɛsɫi/
UK/ɛkspɹˈɛsli/
Adverb of manner
Definitions
01clearly and specifically
C1 · Advanced Formal
adv. in a way that is very clear and leaves no doubt about the meaning.
adv. in an explicit or clear manner that leaves no room for misinterpretation.
“The contract expressly forbids employees from sharing company secrets.”
“The judge noted that the statute expressly prohibits such actions, leaving the court no room for a more lenient interpretation.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02for a specific purpose
C1 · Advanced Formal
adv. done for one particular reason or person and nothing else.
adv. specifically or exclusively for a particular purpose or recipient.
“This room was built expressly for the purpose of storing old books.”
“The new legislation was designed expressly to address the loopholes that had allowed tax avoidance in the previous decade.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“But the bill would not expressly require a verifiable evidence chain across the different systems involved, from when a user initiates a task to the final outcome.” “Yale says this amounted to a finding that Rignol had used AI; he insists that the committee never expressly said so.” “The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program regulation that the Trump administration has sought to implement expressly blurs these lines.” Etymology
From express + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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