English

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Etymology

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From prude +‎ -ly.

Adverb

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prudely (comparative more prudely, superlative most prudely)

  1. Resembling or characteristic of a prude; prudishly.
    • 1836, Alexander John Ellis, “My Recantation”, in Verses, Cambridge: Metcalfe and Palmer, page 107:
      Had late observed my silent tear,
      That I was press'd, and press'd most rudely,
      Not to behave so very prudely ;
    • 1960, Thomas McAfee, “The Matriarch”, in Poems and Stories, University of Missouri Press, page 3:
      When you family-prayed on Sunday nights—
      The living room a crowd of things to do
      Each prudely solemn word defined your rights.