Percipiently

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that reveals sharp insight, an individual understands the subtleties of various circumstances
2. Characterized by an acute awareness and grasp of subtle details in situations
3. Exhibiting clear and sharp comprehension of complex or nuanced matters

Etymology: "Percipiently" is simply "percipient" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached, so the story really belongs to its base word. "Percipient" comes from Latin "percipiens," the present participle of "percipere," meaning "to seize" or "to perceive," built from "per" ("through," here meaning thoroughly) and "capere" ("to take" or "to grasp"). The sense of mentally grasping something thoroughly runs through the whole family, which is why the adjective describes a mind that takes in fine detail. The adverb inherits that sense directly: to act percipiently is to act with that thorough, alert grasp of what is going on. The "-ly" ending is the ordinary English adverb marker, so no separate history attaches to it.