adj
Meaning 1
Being habitually clean, practising good hygiene.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
cleanly
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈklɛnli/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɛnli
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UK, US: /ˈkliːnli/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːnli
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CMU ARPABET: K L IY1 N L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Cleansing; fitted to remove moisture; dirt, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Adroit; dexterous; artful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 4
In a clean way, neatly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 5
Not causing a mess or unnecessary damage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- We agreed to break off our relationship cleanly.
- Fortunately, the bullet passed cleanly through your shoulder.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 6
Innocently; without stain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: purely, sinlessly, blamelessly, cleanly, guiltlessly, innocently, irreprehensibly, unblameably, unblamefully
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 7
Adroitly; dexterously
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
habitually clean
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- cleanly in their persons and habitations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 9
in an adroit manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he bounced it cleanly off the wall
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: flawlessly
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 10
without difficulty or distortion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- she played the piano accompaniment cleanly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 11
in a manner that minimizes dirt and pollution
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the motor burns cleanly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English clenly, clenliche, clanly, from Old English clǣnlīċ (“cleanly, pure, excellent”), equivalent to clean + -ly.
From Middle English clenly, clenli, clenliche, from Old English clǣnlīċe (“cleanly”), equivalent to clean + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
18 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Azerbaijani: təmizkar — being habitually clean
- Czech: čistotný — being habitually clean
- Danish: renlig — being habitually clean
- French: propre sur soi — being habitually clean
- German: reinlich — being habitually clean
- Latvian: tīrīgs — being habitually clean
- Norwegian Bokmål: hygienisk — being habitually clean
- Norwegian Bokmål: renslig — being habitually clean
- Russian: чистопло́тный (čistoplótnyj) — being habitually clean
- Swedish: renlig — being habitually clean
- Catalan: netament — in a clean way
- Finnish: puhtaasti — in a clean way
- French: proprement — in a clean way
- Latin: munditer — in a clean way
- Latvian: tīri — in a clean way
- Norman: proprément — in a clean way
- Old English: clǣnlīċe — in a clean way
- Spanish: limpiamente — in a clean way
Real reading context