Conductively

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that relates to the capacity to transfer energy efficiently through substances
2. Pertaining to the property of materials that facilitates the flow of heat or electricity
3. In a way that allows heat or electrical energy to pass through a material effectively

Etymology: "Conductively" is simply "conductive" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached, so it means "in a conductive manner." The base word "conductive" comes from "conduct," which derives from Latin "conducere," meaning "to lead together" or "to bring together," built from "com-" (together) and "ducere" (to lead). The sense of "conducting" heat or electricity grew out of the older idea of guiding something along a path from one place to another. The suffix "-ly" is the ordinary English adverb marker, descending from Old English "-lice," which turned adjectives into descriptions of how an action happens. Attaching it to "conductive" gives a word that describes the manner in which something passes energy along. Its usage belongs to technical writing, especially physics and engineering, where materials are compared by how conductively they carry heat or current.