Definify.com

Definition 2024


-mente

-mente

See also: mente, ménte, menté, and mentė

Galician

Suffix

-mente

  1. -ly (used to form adverbs from adjectives)

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Galician_words_suffixed_with_-mente'>Galician words suffixed with -mente</a>

Interlingua

Etymology

From Latin mente, ablative singular of mēns (mind).

Suffix

-mente

  1. Used to form adverbs from adjectives, compare English -wise, -ly or -ally.
    physicamente - physically

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Interlingua_words_suffixed_with_-mente'>Interlingua words suffixed with -mente</a>

Usage notes

After a final -c the vowel -a- is inserted, e.g. physicamente (note use of physica rather than physic; *physicmente would be incorrect)


Italian

Etymology

From Latin mente, ablative singular of mēns (mind), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méntis (thought).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmen.te/, [ˈmen̪t̪e]
  • Hyphenation: -mén‧te

Suffix

-mente

  1. (productive) Used to form adverbs from adjectives; -wise, -ly, -ally

Usage notes

  • Because the suffix originates as a reinterpretation of the Latin feminine noun form mente in ablatival locutions (such as clārā mente (literally with a clear mind), whence Italian chiaramente), if the root adjective ends in -o, it is attached to its feminine singular form.
Examples:
chiaro m (clear), chiara fchiaramente (clearly)
fisico m (physical), fisica ffisicamente (physically)
stupido m (stupid”, “foolish), stupida fstupidamente (stupidly”, “foolishly)
  • Adjectives ending in -e, not distinguishing masculine and feminine forms, simply have the suffix attached to the singular form.
Example:
grande (great)grandemente (greatly)
  • When the root adjective ends in -le, -lo, -re or -ro, the suffix is attached directly to the consonant and the final vowel is dropped.
Examples:
speciale (special)specialmente (especially”, “particularly)
celere (swift)celermente (swiftly)
  • Terms derived with this suffix are invariably stressed on the penultimate.

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Italian_words_suffixed_with_-mente'>Italian words suffixed with -mente</a>

Neapolitan

Etymology

From Latin mens

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /-ˈmɛntɐ/

Suffix

-mente

  1. used to form adverbs from adjectives, compare English -ly, -wise

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin mente, ablative singular of mēns (mind).

Suffix

-mente

  1. Used to form adverbs from adjectives, compare English -wise, -ly or -ally.
    • 2000, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e o Prisioneiro de Azkaban (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Rocco, page 336:
      Francamente, vão acordar todo mundo!
      Frankly, you are going to wake up everybody!

Usage notes

Usually, the feminine form of the adjective is used, e.g. fisicamente (note use of física rather than físico; *fisicomente would be incorrect)


Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈ-.men.te/ (usually stressing that syllable from original adjective)

Etymology

From Latin mente, ablative singular of mēns (mind).

Suffix

-mente

  1. -wise, -ly, in a specified way; used to form adverbs from adjectives.
    normalmente — normally, usually
    físicamente — physically
    comúnmente — commonly
    locamente — crazily

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Spanish_words_suffixed_with_-mente'>Spanish words suffixed with -mente</a>

Usage notes

  • Adverbs in -mente are formed from the feminine singular forms of adjectives. For example, nuevamente (newly) is formed from nueva (new), and comúnmente (commonly) is formed from común (common).
  • Not all words ending in <-mente> are adverbs formed with this suffix. For example, vehemente and demente are both adjectives.
  • If the adjective is written with an accent, then the adverb with -mente is written with an accent in the same place; hence comúnmente, rápidamente, and so on. Conversely, if the adjective is written without an accent, then the adverb with -mente is also written without an accent; hence lentamente, nuevamente, and so on.
  • In a string of adverbs connected with a conjunction, -mente may be omitted from all but the last. “Vaga, rápida y descuidadamente