holily

From Middle English holily, holyly, holilie, holiliche, holyliche, haliliche, haliʒlike, haliliʒ, from Old English hāliġlīċe, equivalent to holy +‎ -ly.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊlɪli/

holily (comparative more holily, superlative most holily)

1. In a holy way; with sanctity.
   • 1648, J[oseph] Hall, chapter XLVI, in Select Thoughts: Or, Choice Helps for a Pious Spirit. […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Brooke, […], published 1654, OCLC 1227561436, page 140:

     And there are ſome diſpoſitions blame-vvorthy in men, vvhich are yet, in a right ſenſe, holily aſcribed unto God; as unchangeableneſs, and irrepentance: […]

   • 1688, Henry Wharton, Sermon III preach'd at Lambeth Chapel

     […] enjoyning them upon the severest Penalties to live godlily, holily and righteously in this present World […]

   • 2010, "An own goal on gay rights", The Economist, 14 Oct 2010:

     The other [problem] is that, like Macbeth, what the president wants highly he also wants holily.

• IPA^(key): [ˈɦolɪlɪ]

holily

1. inflection of holit:
   1. inanimate masculine plural past participle
   2. feminine plural past participle