Quantifiably

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a fashion that permits quantities to be expressed through numbers Concerning the ability to numerically assess and determine values Involving methods that allow for the precise calculation of measurable attributes
2. In a manner whereby values can be expressed numerically through measurement
3. In a manner allowing the clear expression of amounts using numbers

Etymology: "Quantifiably" is simply "quantifiable" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached, and "quantifiable" itself is built from "quantify" plus the suffix "-able," meaning capable of being done. The base comes from Latin "quantus," meaning "how much," which gave English "quantity" and, through the verb "quantify," the sense of measuring something in numerical terms. Adding "-able" produced an adjective for things that can be measured that way, and "-ly" then turns that adjective into an adverb describing how something is shown or proven. The adverb's usefulness lies in its tone of precision. A claim described as "quantifiably better" signals that the improvement can be counted rather than merely felt. Because the word is a plain suffixed form, its history is simply the sum of its parts, and its meaning follows directly from them.

Synonyms: measurably, definably