Metamorphically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that suggests a deep transformation or change
2. In a manner indicative of significant shifts in form or essence
3. Expressed through a manner that implies profound alteration or conversion of shape or nature

Etymology: "Metamorphically" is an adverb built in two steps: "metamorphic," an adjective meaning relating to or characterized by metamorphosis, plus the suffix "-ally," which turns adjectives into adverbs describing the manner of an action or state. The adjective itself comes from "metamorphosis," a Greek-rooted noun combining "meta-" (change) and "morphe" (form), so the whole word carries the sense of changing shape. Because the suffix is so regular, the adverb adds little beyond its base. It describes doing something in a metamorphic way, so a process might be described as changing metamorphically, meaning its form or essence shifts significantly rather than gradually or superficially.

Synonyms: figuratively, symbolically, allegorically, transfiguratively, transformatively