Audibly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that can be heard or perceived by the ear
2. In a manner that produces sound detectable by hearing
3. Expressed so that it can be perceived through listening

Etymology: "Audibly" is about as plain as English etymology gets: it is the adjective "audible" with the adverb suffix "-ly" attached. "Audible" comes from Latin "audibilis", meaning "that can be heard", built on "audire", "to hear", so the root carries the sense of hearing all the way down. The adverb itself is simply the adjective's manner form, meaning "in a way that can be heard." The suffix has an older pedigree than the word it sits on. "-ly" descends from Old English "-līce", itself rooted in a Proto-Germanic element meaning "body" or "form," which is why the suffix once meant something like "in the form of" before it came to mark manner. The "-ly" ending passed through Middle English and became the standard way to turn English adjectives into adverbs, so "audibly" is an ordinary product of that process, joining a very large family of words built the same way.

Synonyms: clearly, loudly

Antonyms: silently, quietly