Phototropically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that signifies the directional growth or movement in response to light stimuli
2. Characterized by the adjustment or orientation of organisms towards sources of illumination
3. In a manner that describes how organisms align or grow towards light sources for energy or survival

Etymology: "Phototropically" is simply "phototropic" with the adverbial ending "-ally" added, the usual way English turns an adjective of manner into an adverb (as in "basically" or "tragically"). The adjective itself is built from two Greek elements: "phos" (genitive "photos"), meaning light, and "tropos," meaning turn or turning. Put together they describe something that turns toward light. The core idea is therefore a physical bending or turning, which is exactly what plants do when a stem curves toward a window. The adverb carries that same sense into descriptions of how an action or growth happens, so a seedling that grows phototropically is one that bends toward the light source.