silently

adv — 2 senses

silently

adv

/ˈsaɪləntli/

Etymology From silent + -ly.

1

In a silent manner; making no noise.

  • It often happens that the most important results in the natural world are brought about by causes which operate silently, if not imperceptibly.1838, William Andrus Alcott, chapter I, in The Young House-keeper: Or, Thoughts on Food and Cookery, third stereotype edition, Boston: George W. Light, page 21:
  • Frederick, I presume, at this late hour of four, may be snatching a morsel of dinner; his orderlies are silently speeding, plans taken, orders given: […]1865, Thomas Carlyle, chapter IX, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume VI, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC:
2

Of an edit or change to a text, without explicit acknowledgment.

  • There never was an English-language text, either in 1561 or 1859. Yule and Burnell have silently provided a translation.2018, James Lambert, “Setting the Record Straight: An In-depth Examination of Hobson-Jobson”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 31, number 4, →DOI, page 496:
Derived terms
yell silently
Related terms
silent, silence

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.