Austerely

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ɔˈstiɹli/

Definitions

1. In a manner marked by sternness, simplicity, and self-discipline
2. With a focus on severe minimalism and the absence of extravagance while upholding strict standards
3. In a way that shows serious restraint and lack of decoration

Etymology: Austerely is simply the adverb of "austere" with the suffix "-ly" added, so its history is the history of that adjective plus a very old adverb-forming ending. The adjective "austere" traces back through Latin "austerus" and Greek "austēros", meaning dry, harsh or astringent to the taste, a sense that gave the English word its earlier flavour of sour or rough before it came to mean severe or plain. The ending is the more ancient part. The "-ly" comes from Old English "-līċe", which descends from a Proto-Germanic form meaning "like" or "of the same body", the same root that gave English "like" itself. Adding it to an adjective produced an adverb describing the manner of an action, so "austerely" means "in the manner of something austere".

Synonyms: severely, sternly, strictly

Antonyms: luxuriously, bountifully