Entries linking to entirely
mid-14c., of things, "whole, intact," from Old French entier "whole, unbroken, intact, complete," from Latin integrum "completeness" (nominative integer; see integer). Related: Entireness.
common adverbial suffix, forming from adjectives adverbs signifying "in a manner denoted by" the adjective, Middle English, from Old English -lice, from Proto-Germanic *-liko- (cognates: Old Frisian -like, Old Saxon -liko, Dutch -lijk, Old High German -licho, German -lich, Old Norse -liga, Gothic -leiko); see -ly (1). Cognate with lich, and identical with like (adj.).
Weekley notes as "curious" that Germanic uses a word essentially meaning "body" for the adverbial formation, while Romanic uses one meaning "mind" (as in French constamment from Latin constanti mente). The modern English form emerged in late Middle English, probably from influence of Old Norse -liga.
Share entirely
updated on October 16, 2019
Dictionary entries near entirely
enthusiastic
enthymeme
entice
enticement
entire
entirely
entirety
entitle
entitlement
entity
ento-