accordingly

What it means

1. mannerAgreeably; correspondingly; suitably.

   He was absent when I called, and I accordingly left my card.

   3 more examples

   We may the number of ships behold, and so proceed accordingly.

   c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ix]

   Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing. Yet oddly enough I found here a far more unlikely substance, and that was camphor. I found it in a sealed jar, that, by chance, I supposed had been really hermetically sealed. I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable.

   1895, H. G. Wells, chapter X, in The Time Machine

   From the Marvel Mixmaster to the Miracle Microwave, every time a new-fangled gadget has lobbed into the Aussie kitchen, Aussie mums have changed their cooking styles accordingly.

   1987, Kerry Cue, Hang On To Your Horses Doovers, page 5

   Synonyms: accordantly, compliantly, rightly, accordantly, agreeably, appropriately, becomingly, compliantly

2. conjunctiveIn natural sequence; consequently; so.

   Our preparations were all finished. Accordingly, we set sail.

   1 more example

   Accordingly a young chap wearing his hat over the left eyebrow, some clerk I suppose, - there must have been clerks in the business, though the house was as still as a house in a city of the dead, - came from somewhere up-stairs, and led me forth.

   1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 200

   Synonyms: consequently, therefore, wherefore, hence, so, as a result, as such, consequently

In a sentence

He was absent when I called, and I accordingly left my card.

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishacordingli
2. Englishaccordingly

From Middle English acordingli, equivalent to according + -ly.