different between certainly vs firstly

English

Etymology

certain +? -ly

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s??n?li/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??tn?li/

Adverb

certainly (comparative more certainly, superlative most certainly)

1. In a way which is certain; with certainty.
   • , I.iii.2.2:

     he verily thought he had young live frogs in his belly, qui vivebant ex alimento suo, that lived by his nourishment, and was so certainly persuaded of it, that for many years following he could not be rectified in his conceit.

2. Without doubt, surely.

   • So this was my future home, I thought! Certainly it made a brave picture. I had seen similar ones fired-in on many a Heidelberg stein. Backed by towering hills, […] a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
3. An emphatic affirmative answer; of course.

Synonyms

• (with certainty): absolutely, beyond doubt, indubitably, sure thing, undoubtedly, wis (obsolete), without a doubt
• (without doubt): definitely, doubtlessly, in fact, indeed, indisputably, indubitably, no doubt, really, sure, surely, truly, undoubtedly, unquestionably, wis (obsolete), without a doubt
• (emphatic affirmative): damn right, damn straight, fo shizzle, for sure, oh yeah, wye aye (dialect)

Coordinate terms

• maybe, possibly, arguably, questionably, probably, perhaps

Derived terms

• soitenly

Translations

References

• certainly in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• certainly in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Etymology

Coined between 1525 and 1535 from first +? -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f??stli/

Adverb

firstly (not comparable)

1. (formal) In the first place; before anything else; first.

Usage notes

• Whether it is proper to use "firstly", rather than "first", has often been disputed.
  • Beginning in the early 19th century, some have argued against the use of "firstly", advocating the sequence: "First", "secondly", "thirdly", ....
  • The usage of "firstly" is also deprecated by some modern style guides. The Chicago Manual of Style further recommends that all such -ly forms be avoided, and that list items begin only with "first", "second", and so forth.
  • Other authorities disagree.
    • The American Heritage Dictionary comments:

      It is well established that either first or firstly can be used to begin an enumeration: Our objectives are, first (or firstly), to recover from last year's slump.

    • The Oxford English Dictionary notes the dispute but does not pass judgment: "many writers prefer first, even though closely followed by secondly, thirdly, etc."
  • "Firstly" may appear more formal than "first" and is often recommended for the formal enumeration of arguments.

Synonyms

• 1stly, first, first of all, first up; see also Thesaurus:firstly

Translations

See also

• at first
• in the first place

References