Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “defiantly” come from?

Defiantly derives from English defiant, from French défiant, the present participle of French défier, ultimately from Latin ex combined with Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to bind and to split.

defiantly (English): In a defiant manner; Misspelling of definitely

Definitions

  1. In a defiant manner; Misspelling of definitely

Ancestry of “defiantly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
2EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
3Middle Englishgrisely—
4Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
5Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
6Proto-Germanic*-līk—
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →