: 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

Examples of ably in a Sentence

ably maneuvered the boat up to the dock
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The club’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, has worked a number of angles to further reinforce a position covered ably by summer signings David Neres and Leonardo Spinazzola. James McNicholas, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025 Be alert and ready to handle ably and intelligently any situation which may arise – this is mindfulness. Renée Onque, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025 Playing out of position at right-back, and ably supported by industrious Jesper Lindstrom — who, out of possession, often dropped back into the defence to make a five-strong line — O’Brien showed flashes of the promise that persuaded the club to sign him for £17million ($21.6m). Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025 Heller adapts the novel by Rachel Yoder into a surreal commentary on the pressure on mothers in American society, and Adams is ably supported by a great turn from Scoot McNairy too. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for ably 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ably was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ably

Cite this Entry

“Ably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ably. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

ably

adverb
ˈā-blē
: in an able manner

More from Merriam-Webster on ably

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