Promptly
adverbWithout delay; at once or exactly on time.
How to spell promptly
8 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce promptly
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does promptly mean?
- adverbWithout delay; at once or exactly on time.
Promptly in a sentence
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The invoice was paid promptly on the first of the month.
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Guests are asked to arrive promptly at seven for the dinner.
Where does promptly come from?
Language of origin: Latin
The word descends from the Latin promptus, meaning 'ready' or 'at hand', which was the past participle of promere, 'to bring forth' or 'to produce'. That verb was built from pro, meaning 'forward', and emere, meaning 'to take' or 'to buy', so the literal idea was of something taken out and made available without delay. English took 'prompt' in through Old French during the late 1300s, first in the sense of being quick and ready to act. The adverb 'promptly' simply adds the native English suffix -ly to that adjective, turning 'ready and quick' into 'in a quick and timely manner'. The spelling keeps the silent-looking cluster -mpt- straight from the Latin promptus, and that buried 'p' before the 't' is the small trap that occasionally trips writers.
How the word is built
- prompt (from Latin promptus: ready, brought forth)
- -ly (adverb suffix)
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