a?bly (?e? bli) adv. in an able manner; competently. [1350?1400] -ably a suffix combining -able and -ly that forms adverbs corresponding to adjectives ending in -able: commendably. Compare -ibly. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.