WordGarden.iohandedly
A2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /ˈhændɪdli/
Meanings
Adverb
(informal)easily or without much difficulty; often considered a nonstandard form or misconstruction of handily
Beyond the definition
In modern English, "handedly" is very rare on its own. Most of the time, you see it as the second part of a longer adverb, especially "single-handedly." In that pattern, it helps describe the way something was done, often showing that one person did it alone or that the action relates to a particular hand. So if you meet this form, it is usually better to read it as part of a compound word rather than as a common standalone word.
"Handedly" is not a common standalone word in present-day English. Most native speakers meet it only as the final part of compound adverbs such as "single-handedly" or "left-handedly." In those forms, it helps describe the manner of an action: "single-handedly" means done by one person alone, while "left-handedly" means done with the left hand or in a left-handed way.
Because of that, it is misleading to define "handedly" by itself as meaning "skillfully," "manually," or "with personal effort." Those ideas may appear in some compounds, but they are not the core meaning of the standalone form. The main point is structural: this element usually works inside a larger word that tells you exactly what kind of action is being described.
It is also important not to confuse "handedly" with "handily." "Handily" is a normal adverb meaning "easily," "conveniently," or sometimes "by a wide margin." "Handedly," by contrast, is mostly seen only in compounds. If you come across it, the safest way to understand it is to look at the full word around it and read the meaning from that larger form.
Examples
- 1
Doing alone
She single-handedly kept the store running while her brother was in the hospital.
- Grammar
handedly is usually part of a longer adverb, not used alone
- 2
Forceful control
The school tried to fix the problem too heavy-handedly, and parents complained.
- 3
Dishonest credit
He underhandedly took credit for a project the whole team had worked on.
See also
Used with (collocations)
- single-handedly
- even-handedly
- heavy-handedly
- underhandedly
Word family
- handed
- -ly
Explore
- compound adverbs
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- handedlyadverb