unnaturally en · ADV
Pronunciation
- /ʌnˈnæt͡ʃ(ə)ɹəli/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /ʊnˈnat͡ʃ(ə)ɹəlɪi/ (Northern-England)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ɐnˈnɛt͡ʃ(ə)ɹəli/ (New-Zealand)
- /ʌnˈnat͡ʃ(ə)ɾəle/ (Scotland)
- /ɐnˈnæt͡ʃ(ə)ɹəli/ (Australia)
- /ʌnˈnat͡ʃ(ə)ɹəlɪj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /ʌnˈnat͡ʃ(ə)ɾəli/ (Wales)
Etymology
From Middle English unnaturelly, equivalent to unnatural + -ly and/or un- + naturally.
Meanings
-
In an unnatural manner; to an unnatural extent.
Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago. Next day she found her way to their lodgings and tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:Another, with the bump of order unnaturally developed, had his folios and quartos all reduced, in binding, to one size, so that they might look even on his bookshelves.
1902, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, 2nd edition, page 102:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more unnaturally | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most unnaturally | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Translations (1)
enm unkyndely (in an unnatural manner)