definitively

Definitively is an adverb in English that describes doing something in a final, conclusive, or highly certain manner. It signals that a statement, result, or action settles a matter with little or no remaining doubt and often implies official or authoritative resolution.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from the adjective definite plus the suffix -ly. It ultimately derives from Latin definitus, meaning bound or determined, through the development of definite.

Usage: Definitively is commonly used in academic, scientific, legal, and journalistic writing to emphasize finality and certainty. It typically accompanies verbs such as prove, establish, identify, settle, or answer. It can also modify phrases that convey finality or decisiveness. It is close in meaning to definitively, but careful stylistic distinction exists: definitively stresses final resolution, whereas definitely emphasizes certainty or agreement, which may or may not imply final closure.

Examples: The DNA analysis definitively proved the suspect's involvement. The committee's report definitively settles the dispute. These data definitively show a correlation. The policy was definitively adopted.

Related terms: conclusive, decisively, conclusively, final, settled; the adjective definitive and the noun definitiveness are related forms.

See also: definitive (adjective) and definitiveness (noun) as connected concepts in discussion of conclusions and determinations.