Difficultly

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. In a manner that presents great challenges or obstacles, often requiring significant effort to overcome
  2. Characterized by a challenging nature that complicates tasks or situations, demanding careful attention and perseverance
  3. In a way that involves complexity or hardship, making progress or understanding notably harder to achieve

Etymology: The noun form in question stems from the adjective "difficult," which itself traces back to the Latin "difficilis," meaning "not easy" or "hard to do." This Latin root combines "dis-" (a prefix indicating negation or reversal) with "facilis," meaning "easy." Thus, "difficilis" literally conveyed the idea of something being "not easy." This term entered English around the late Middle Ages, initially as an adjective describing tasks or situations that posed challenges. To create the noun form, English speakers typically add the suffix "-ly" to adjectives to form adverbs, but in some cases, especially in older or more formal usage, "-ly" can also form nouns that denote a state or condition. Here, the addition of "-ly" to "difficult" produces a noun meaning "the state or condition of being difficult." This formation is somewhat archaic and less common today, as the more standard noun "difficulty" had already established itself in English by the 15th century, derived from Old French "dificulte" and Latin "difficultatem." The existence of "difficultly" as a noun reflects a period in English when suffixes were more flexibly applied to create nouns from adjectives. While "difficulty" became the dominant noun form, "difficultly" occasionally appeared in older texts or poetic contexts to emphasize a particular nuance of hardship or struggle, often highlighting the manner or quality of difficulty rather than an abstract concept. Over time, "difficulty" solidified its place as the standard noun, while "difficultly" became rare and somewhat archaic, surviving mainly in specialized or literary usage. Its formation showcases the fluid nature of English word formation during the Early Modern English period, when speakers experimented with suffixes to express subtle distinctions in meaning.

Synonyms: hardship, trouble, difficulty, struggle, challenge

Antonyms: ease, simplicity, facility, comfort, advantage