Distinctly

How to spell distinctly

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce distinctly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does distinctly mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is clearly noticeable, unmistakable, or sharply defined.

Distinctly in a sentence

• The auditor remembered distinctly signing the form that morning.

• Her accent sounded distinctly different from the rest of the office staff.

Where does distinctly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin verb distinguere, which meant 'to separate, divide, or set apart by a mark', built from dis- 'apart' and a root linked to stinguere 'to prick'. The idea was that pricking or marking something out made it clearly different from its surroundings. The past participle distinctus gave English the adjective 'distinct', meaning clearly marked off or separate, which arrived through Old French in the late 1300s. Adding the native English adverb ending -ly produced 'distinctly', describing something perceived or expressed with sharp clarity. The same Latin family gives us 'distinguish' and 'extinguish', and the awkward consonant pile-up in -nctly is the part writers most often fumble.

How the word is built

• dis- (apart)
• -stinct- (from Latin stinguere/distinguere: to mark off, separate)
• -ly (adverb suffix)