positively
/ˈpɑ.zɪ.tɪv.li/adverb
positively is spelled P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E-L-Y: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 7.8 times per million words in written English, the 8,417th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, positively means “In a positive manner” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in positively?
| Letters | 10: P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.8 times per million words; the 8,417th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is positively?
Positively appears 7.8 times per million words in written English, the 8,417th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce positively?
- UK /ˈpɒz.ɪ.tɪv.li/
- US /ˈpɑ.zɪ.tɪv.li/
- UK /ˌpɒz.ɪˈtɪv.li/
Positively has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-positively.ogg, Positively.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of positively
- more positively comparative
- most positively superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does positively mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
In a positive manner.
He approached the interview positively.
- 2
With certainty.
I will positively be there at 8 a.m.
- 3
Absolutely; utterly.
- 4
Very.
I had a positively wonderful time.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Positively in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | wohlgestimmt, wohlgesinnt, positiv, zustimmend, bejahend , definitiv |
| Portuguese | positivamente , certamente |
| Spanish | inequívocamente, terminantemente, de todas maneras |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does positively come from?
From Middle English positively, equivalent to positive + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).