surely

[ shoor-lee, shur- ]

adverb

1. firmly; unerringly; without missing, slipping, etc.
2. undoubtedly, assuredly, or certainly:

   The results are surely encouraging.

3. (in emphatic utterances that are not necessarily sustained by fact) assuredly:

   Surely you are mistaken.

4. inevitably or without fail:

   Slowly but surely the end approached.

5. yes, indeed:

   Surely, I'll go with you!

surely

/ ˈʃɔː-; ˈʃʊəlɪ /

adverb

1. without doubt; assuredly

   things could surely not have been worse

2. without fail; inexorably (esp in the phrase slowly but surely )
3. sentence modifier am I not right in thinking that?; I am sure that

   surely you don't mean it?

4. rare.
   in a sure manner
5. archaic.
   safely; securely
6. sentence substitute willingly; of course; yes

Confusables Note

See sure.

Word History and Origins

Origin of surely¹

First recorded in 1300–50, surely is from the Middle English word surliche. See sure, -ly

Example Sentences

It was, in many respects, perfect, and while Carsley downplayed Kane's open criticism of England's absentees, there will surely be great satisfaction from the manager that these three points were deservedly earned after his squad was decimated by injuries.

From BBC

But here is where the interests of the incoming Trump regime align with those of us who surely would not like to endure another round of price increases for the sake of carrying out the single most morally unconscionable national domestic policy since the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II.

From Slate

It is a shocking choice, surely by design, that reflects an obvious desire to corrupt the agency from the top down.

From Slate

Meanwhile, Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” debuts next week, surely hoping to replicate or even outpace the Oscar-winning 2000 original, the fifth highest box-office earner among films that have won the top prize.

From Los Angeles Times

More immediately, tens of millions of people are already climate refugees, and hundreds of millions more surely will be.

From Salon

Related Words

• absolutely
• assuredly
• certainly
• clearly
• definitely
• evidently
• indeed
• inevitably
• inexorably
• plainly
• undoubtedly
• unquestionably