silently

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English

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Etymology

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From silent +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈsaɪləntli/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adverb

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silently (comparative more silently, superlative most silently)

  1. In a silent manner; making no noise.
    • 1838, William Andrus Alcott, chapter I, in The Young House-keeper: Or, Thoughts on Food and Cookery[1], third stereotype edition, Boston: George W. Light, page 21:
      It often happens that the most important results in the natural world are brought about by causes which operate silently, if not imperceptibly.
    • 1865, Thomas Carlyle, chapter IX, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume VI, London: Chapman and Hall, [], →OCLC:
      Frederick, I presume, at this late hour of four, may be snatching a morsel of dinner; his orderlies are silently speeding, plans taken, orders given: []
  2. Of an edit or change to a text, without explicit acknowledgment.
    • 2018, James Lambert, “Setting the Record Straight: An In-depth Examination of Hobson-Jobson”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 31, number 4, →DOI, page 496:
      There never was an English-language text, either in 1561 or 1859. Yule and Burnell have silently provided a translation.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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