Radioactively

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that involves the release of energy from unstable atomic nuclei
2. In a way that pertains to substances that emit radiation and their interactions
3. In a way that relates to the emission of energy from unstable atomic nuclei

Etymology: Radioactively is a plain formation: the adjective "radioactive" with the adverb suffix "-ly" added, and the adverb inherits the adjective's meaning of unstable atomic nuclei giving off energy. The adjective is the more interesting half. It was built from French "radioactif", which in turn joined "radio-", from Latin "radius" meaning ray or spoke of a wheel, to "actif", from Latin "activus", meaning active or effective. Together the parts describe a substance whose activity comes in the form of rays. The suffix has its own long road. The "-ly" ending descends from Old English "-līce", which came from a Proto-Germanic root meaning body or form, so the original sense was something like "in the form of." Over the centuries it became the standard way to turn adjectives into manner adverbs. Adding it to "radioactive" is therefore the same process that turns "quick" into "quickly", applied to a word coined by scientists studying radiation.

Synonyms: nuclearly