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ably

   Also found in: Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.
a·ble  (bl)
adj. a·bler, a·blest
1. Having sufficient power or resources to accomplish something: a singer able to reach high notes; a detergent able to remove stains.
2. Usage Problem Susceptible to action or treatment: The brakes were able to be fixed.
3. Especially capable or talented.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin habilis, from habre, to handle; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots.]

ably (bl) adv.
Usage Note: The construction able to takes an infinitive to show the subject's ability to accomplish an action: We were able to get a grant for the project. The new submarine is able to dive twice as fast as the older model. Some people think it should be avoided when the subject does not have an ability, as in sentences with passive constructions involving forms of the verb be: The problem was able to be solved by using a new lab technique. The reasoning here is that since the problem has no ability to accomplish an action, it is not able to do anything, and therefore able to should not be used. Presumably this ban would apply to similar words like capable and to negative words like unable and incapable. In such cases one can usually avoid the problem by using can or could: The problem could be solved.... Keep in mind, however, that passives with get ascribe a more active role to their subjects, and here one can use able to: He was able to get accepted by a top law school.

ably [ˈeɪblɪ]
adv
in a competent or skilful manner
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adv.1.ably - with competence; in a competent capable manner; "they worked competently"
Translations
ably [ˈeɪblɪ] ADVhábilmente, con mucha habilidad
ably assisted byhábilmente ayudado por, con la experta colaboración de
ably [ˈeɪbli] adv (= competently) → avec compétence
ably
advgekonnt, fähig
ably [ˈeɪblɪ] advabilmente


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He could have enjoyed portraying to uninitiated listeners various scenes at which he had been a witness or ably discussing the pro- cesses of war with other proved men.
You have too ably arranged my destiny to allow gratitude not to stop me at the moment when I was about to destroy your work.
Every moment was drive, drive, drive, and Joe was the masterful shepherd of moments, herding them carefully, never losing one, counting them over like a miser counting gold, working on in a frenzy, toil-mad, a feverish machine, aided ably by that other machine that thought of itself as once having been one Martin Eden, a man.
 
 
 
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