Censoriously

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that demonstrates a severe and often unjust critique of others' actions or viewpoints
2. With an attitude marked by excessive scrutiny and harshness towards the conduct or beliefs of others
3. Characterized by expressing strong disapproval and blame towards others' behavior or opinions

Etymology: Censoriously is a plain formation: the adjective "censorious" with the suffix "-ly" added to turn it into an adverb. The adjective itself traces back to Latin "censorius", from "censor", the Roman official who assessed citizens and their conduct. Over time the sense of formally judging became one of harsh moral disapproval, so to behave censoriously is to find fault with others in a critical, condemning way. The suffix is the more ancient part of the story. It descends from a Germanic word meaning "body" or "form", which came to signify "like" or "in the manner of" and was attached to adjectives across the Germanic languages. In Old English the form was "-līċe", which gradually wore down to the "-ly" we use today, so the adverb's ending is a worn-down relative of a word for "shape" or "appearance".