sternly

English

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sternly

  • /ˈstɝnli/ US
  • /ˈstɜːnli/ UK

Where it comes from

From Middle English sternly, sternely, sterneliche, sturnely, sturneliche, from Old English stirnlīċe, styrnlīċe, stiernlīċe (“harshly; severely; sternly”), equivalent to stern + -ly.

adverb more sternly · sternlier · most sternly · sternliest

  1. In a stern manner. It was a historic night at Wembley Stadium that saw the European champions sternly tested by Copa America winners Brazil, but ended with the familiar sight of captain Leah Williamson lifting a trophy.

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MLA

"sternly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sternly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sternly. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sternly

Chicago

"sternly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sternly.

BibTeX
@misc{sternly_2026,
  title = {sternly},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sternly},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}