-ibly

suffix

Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives that end in -ible.

“audible → audibly”

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Meanings

suffix

alternative -ably

  1. Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives that end in -ible.

    audible → audibly

Origin

Euphonic blend of -ible + -ly, due to difficulty of pronouncing *-iblely. Compare same sound change in unrelated feebly, nimbly, and nobly.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

-ibly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ibly

MLA

“-ibly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ibly. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-ibly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ibly.

Source: -ibly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.