Angularly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that is concerned with the properties of angles or the measurement of angles
2. Done in a style that emphasizes sharp or distinct angles rather than smooth curves
3. With a focus on angular features or the presence of clear edges and corners

Etymology: Angularly is about as plain as English gets: the adjective "angular" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached, so it means "in an angular manner." The adjective "angular" itself comes from Latin "angularis," built on "angulus," meaning "corner" or "angle," and the same Latin root gives us "angle" and "angel"-free relatives like "triangle" and "rectangle" in later coinages. The suffix is the more interesting part. The "-ly" ending descends from an Old English form "-līce," which was the adverb-making counterpart of the adjective ending "-lic," meaning "having the form of" or "like." Over the centuries it simplified to "-ly" in Middle English, and it is now the standard way to turn English adjectives into adverbs. The Proto-Germanic ancestor "*-līkaz" carried the sense of "body" or "form," so the suffix literally signals "in the body or shape of" the adjective's quality. Because the word is built transparently from two parts, its meaning follows directly from them: an object described as angularly shaped is presented with sharp corners and clear edges rather than smooth curves.

Synonyms: awkwardly, clumsily