Added 9 October 2026
keenly
/ˈkiːnli/ adverb
In Latin: ācriter Wiktionary
adverb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about keenly at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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In a keen or penetrating way.
he was keenly aware of his own shortcomings
Origin
From Middle English kenely, kenliche, from Old English cēnlīċe (“keenly, boldly, courageously”), equivalent to keen + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian köinlik (“boldly”), archaic German kühnlich (“bravely”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)