ably

adverb

ˈā-b(ə-)lē 

: in an able and skillful manner : with ability, skill, or proficiency

was ably assisted

This silly comic Christmas romp is ably performed by a cast of 22 actors, led by the high-spirited Danny McBride as the childlike Buddy.

—Matthew Yde

Last year, she ably completed a half-marathon run with only minimal training.

—Zachary Lewis

Synonyms

• adeptly
• adroitly
• artfully
• capably
• competently
• consummately
• deftly
• expertly
• masterfully
• masterly
• proficiently
• skillfully
• well

Examples of ably in a Sentence

ably maneuvered the boat up to the dock

Recent Examples on the Web

Passon ably weaves the legal and legislative challenges into the hurdles that Patrice, Garry and others face daily, weekly, monthly. —Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024

Naturally, with Dudley's help, the bishop eventually rediscovers the true meaning of Christmas, a message that The Bishop's Wife ably passes along to its holiday audience. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024

Hard acceleration on a slightly greasy road can create a slight jump, because this car is powerful enough to lose traction, but the car’s safety systems jump in ably to keep things travelling in the right direction. —James Morris, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

Martha, again in the mid-1990s, ably demonstrating the only proper way to prune an unruly tree. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ably

adverb

ˈā-blē

: in an able manner