steadily

[ sted-i-lee ]

adverb

1. in a way that moves constantly and at an even pace or in the same direction:

   My dedication and commitment to teaching are proven by my steadily increasing student evaluation scores.

   Despite numerous legislative attempts to constrain spending over the past 40 years, the deficit problem has marched steadily on.

2. in a continuous, uniform way:

   It rained steadily all day yesterday and by evening the river was almost overflowing.

3. in a calm, fixed, or unwavering way:

   He just stood there, holding his ground and gazing steadily at her, into those dark eyes.

4. in a firm, stable way:

   Binoculars with larger magnification tend to be overly bulky and difficult to hold steadily.

5. in a determined, persevering, or resolute way:

   She told him, “Seek peace of mind and hold steadily to your faith.”

Other Words From

• o·ver·stead·i·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of steadily¹

steady ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

It grows “slowly but steadily,” Rundel tells me.

From Los Angeles Times

Like most advanced economies, South Korea’s fertility rate has steadily been falling since 1980.

From Los Angeles Times

The discourse has steadily degraded there, but the power users have not fled en masse.

From Slate

He advocates formally annexing the West Bank, the illegally occupied territory from which Israelis have steadily and forcibly displaced many Palestinians.

From Slate

The childbirth rate has steadily declined for years, and did not pick back up after the pandemic and subsequent economic recovery.

From Salon

Related Words

• regularly