easily

Easily is an English adverb that denotes doing something with little effort or difficulty, or that something happens without obstruction. It commonly modifies verbs, as in “she easily solved the puzzle,” but it can also modify adjectives or other adverbs to signal degree, as in “an easily understood concept” or “the task was easily achieved.” In some contexts, easily can imply that something is obvious or readily accomplished, and phrases like “easily the most” are used to indicate a clear superlative.

Etymology and form: Easily is formed from the adjective easy plus the standard adverbial suffix -ly. The word traces to Middle English, with roots in Old French facile and Latin facilis, both meaning “easy.” The adverbial use developed as English adopted the -ly suffix to create modifiers for verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

Usage notes: Easily contrasts with the adjective easy, which describes a noun, while easily describes the manner or degree of an action or property. It can emphasize absence of difficulty rather than effort, and in evaluative phrases it can heighten a claim (e.g., “easily the best”). Common collocations include easily accessible, easily understood, easily mistaken, and easily achieved. In translation, equivalents often convey “without difficulty” or “with ease.”

See also: synonyms and related adverbs such as readily, effortlessly, and with ease; antonyms include hardly or with difficulty.