Dictionary

peremptorily en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /pəˈɹɛmpt(ə)ɹəli/ (UK)

Etymology

Etymology tree English peremptory Middle English -ly English -ly English peremptorily From peremptory + -ly.

Meanings

1. In a peremptory manner; in a commanding tone, brooking no delay.
   • How have I offended you? Twice have I called this morning, and each time you have been peremptorily denied. 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Discovery”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 165:
   • […] the door-bell jingled peremptorily, and the girl left waiting on the table to go and answer it. 1885, William Dean Howells, chapter XIII, in The Rise of Silas Lapham:
   • —We lose the right of complaining sometimes by forbearing it;—but we often treble the force:—The surgeon was astonished; but much more so, when he heard my uncle Toby go on, and peremptorily insist upon his healing up the wound directly,—or sending for Monsieur Ronjat, the king’s serjeant-surgeon, to do it for him. 1659, Laurence Sterne, chapter XXIX, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman:
   • "Never mind that!" here peremptorily broke in the superior, his face altering with anger […] 1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter XVI.”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC:
   • He was peremptorily summoned to see the commanding officer.
   • I shall not peremptorily deny, that from most of such mixt bodies as partake either of animal or vegetable nature, there may by the help of the fire be actually obtained a determinate number […] of substances, worthy of differing denominations. 1661, Robert Boyle, The Sceptical Chymist, London: J.M. Dent & Sons, published 1911, page 34:
   • 1597, Francis Bacon, Essays, New York: T.Y. Cromwell, 1901, LVII, "Of Anger", p. 233, https://archive.org/details/essaysoffrancisb00baco […] that you doe not peremptorily break off, in any Businesse, in a Fitt of Anger: But howsoever you shew Bitternes, do not Act any thing, that is not Revocable.

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