Contractedly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner characterized by being drawn together or tightened; done with a sense of reduction or shrinkage; expressing a state of being diminished or compressed
2. Performed with an action of shrinking or drawing inward; involving a tightening or condensing process; showing signs of becoming smaller or restricted
3. Exhibited through the act of becoming contracted or shortened; indicating an effect of tension or compaction; demonstrating a reduced or confined condition

Etymology: The adverb "contractedly" is simply "contracted" with the suffix "-ly" attached, and the suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body" or "form," which gave rise to the sense "having the appearance of" or "in the manner of." Over the centuries that sense worn down into the general-purpose adverb-maker we use today, so "-ly" turns "slow" into "slowly" and "contracted" into "contractedly." The suffix reached English through Old English "-līċe," which was attached to adjectives to describe the manner of an action, and it passed through Middle English "-ly" before settling into its modern form. The base "contracted" comes from the verb "contract," which itself derives from the Latin "contrahere," meaning "to draw together." That origin explains the core idea in the meaning: something performed in a drawing-together, narrowing way.

Synonyms: briefly, concise, succinctly, terse, compactly

Antonyms: expandedly, lengthily, elaborately, extensively, verbose