militarily
UK[ˌmɪlɪˈterəli]US[ˈmɪləˌterəli]
adv
in a way that relates to soldiers, armies, or the use of armed force
adv
in a way that is typical of or suitable for the armed forces; in a soldierly manner
Morpheme Breakdown
milit
ary
ly
milit
soldier
ary
adjective suffix
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word 'militarily' traces its lineage to the latin noun miles, meaning "soldier." the adjective-forming suffix -arius was attached to create militaris, signifying "of a soldier." this entered english via french as "military." the final layer is the old english adverbial suffix -ly, which was appended to transform the adjective into an adverb. thus, the literal construction "in a soldierly manner" evolved into the modern abstract sense of "in a way relating to armed forces or their characteristic methods." the journey encapsulates a shift from a concrete noun for a fighting man to a broad adverbial concept encompassing strategy, organization, and action associated with state armies.
Analysis
Structure: milit (soldier) + ary (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix)
- milit: from latin miles (genitive militis) meaning "soldier." functions as the core root denoting a soldier or military force.
- ary: a suffix of latin origin (-arius) used to form adjectives meaning "of, connected with, or pertaining to." in this word, it forms the adjective "military."
- ly: an english adverbial suffix from old english -līce, used to form adverbs from adjectives, indicating "in a manner of."
Examples
the country is militarily powerful but economically weak.
the situation was resolved diplomatically rather than militarily.
he argued that the region was militarily indefensible.