readily

Readily is an adverb in English that describes actions performed easily, promptly, or without hesitation, and things that are available or obtainable with little effort. It can indicate willingness as in "She readily agreed," or describe the ease of perception as in "The solution was readily apparent."

Readily commonly appears in phrases such as readily available, readily accessible, and readily admitted. It can modify verbs (they readily complied), adjectives (a readily apparent error), or the verb phrase (the team responded readily to the request). The sense of ease or speed is common in everyday speech, business, and journalism.

Etymology: Readily derives from the adjective ready with the suffix -ly. The adjective ready has roots in Old English and Proto-Germanic, originally referring to being prepared or arranged; the adverb form developed to express manner or degree.

Usage notes: In positive contexts readily often conveys smoothness or lack of delay, but it can imply complacency if overused. In negatives, "not readily" signals greater difficulty or reluctance. The phrase "readily apparent" is common to indicate something obvious at once.

See also: readiness (noun); ready (adjective).