I. ˈadˌvərb, -ə̄b noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French adverbe, from Latin adverbium (translation of Greek epirrhēma, literally, that which is said afterwards), from ad- + -verbium (from verbum word, verb) — more at epirrhema , word
1. : a word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of a great many languages typically used as a modifier of a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a preposition, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence and typically expressing some relation of manner or quality (as well in “she sings well”, surprisingly in “surprisingly slow”), place (as here in “sit here”), time (as now in “now under consideration”), degree (as too in “too hastily”, rather in “rather near us”), number (as triply in “triply bound”), cause (as therefore in “therefore the statement is true”), opposition (as however in “if however this proves impossible”), affirmation (as certainly in “he certainly did”), or denial (as not in “he did not”), sometimes having degrees of comparison expressed by affixation (as soon, sooner, soonest ), suppletion (as well, better, best ), or periphrasis (as happily, more happily, most happily ) but otherwise uninflected, and frequently formed with a characteristic derivative affix (as -ward, -wards in “homeward”, “homewards”, -wise in “clockwise”, and -ly in “aptly”), this last being especially frequent since it is the principal means of forming adverbs from adjectives
2. adverbs plural but singular or plural in construction : a game whose object is to guess an adverb by interpreting verbal or pantomimic answers given in the manner of the adverb chosen
II. adjective
: of or belonging to an adverb : functioning as an adverb usually by modifying a verb or adjective
an adverb phrase
an adverb clause