Accordingly

How to spell accordingly

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce accordingly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does accordingly mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is appropriate to the particular circumstances; therefore, as a result.

Accordingly in a sentence

• The budget was cut, and the team adjusted its plans accordingly.

• She reviewed the new safety rules and updated the manual accordingly.

Where does accordingly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word grows out of the verb 'accord', which English took from Old French 'acorder' meaning 'to bring into agreement' or 'to reconcile'. That French verb traces back to the Latin 'accordare', built from 'ad' meaning 'to' and 'cor' meaning 'heart', so the literal idea was bringing two hearts together into harmony. From the noun and verb 'accord' (agreement, harmony) English formed the adjective 'according', and by the 1500s the adverb 'accordingly' had settled into the modern sense of acting in a way that suits or follows from the circumstances. The same Latin 'cor' for heart sits behind familiar relatives such as 'cordial' and 'courage'. The spelling trap is the double 'c' followed by a single 'c' sound and the plain '-ingly' ending, which writers sometimes shorten or mistype.

How the word is built

• ac- (to, from Latin ad)
• cord (heart, from Latin cor)
• -ing (present participle)
• -ly (adverb suffix)