-ly 1suff.1. Like; resembling; having the characteristics of: sisterly.2. Recurring at a specified interval of time: hourly.[Middle English -li, from Old English -l?c (influenced by Old Norse -ligr); see l?k- in Indo-European roots.]-ly 2suff.1. In a specified manner; in the manner of: gradually.2. At a specified interval of time: weekly.3. With respect to: partly.[Middle English -li, from Old English -l?ce (influenced by Old Norse -liga), from -l?c, adj. suff.; see l?k- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.-ly suffix forming adjectives 1. having the nature or qualities of: brotherly; godly. 2. occurring at certain intervals; every: daily; yearly. [Old English -lic]-ly suffix forming adverbs in a certain manner; to a certain degree: quickly; recently; chiefly. [Old English -lice, from -lic -ly1]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014-ly 1. a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives: gladly; gradually; secondly. 2. a suffix meaning ?every,? attached to nouns denoting units of time: hourly; daily. 3. an adjective suffix meaning ?-like?: saintly; cowardly. [(adv.) Middle English -li, -lich(e), Old English -l?ce (-l?c adj. suffix + -e adv. suffix); (adj.) Middle English -li, -ly, -lich(e), Old English -l?c, suffixal use of gel?c like1] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.