Bachelorly

/ˈbætʃələrli/ adjective

Definition

Having the characteristics, manner, or style of a bachelor; befitting or typical of an unmarried man.

Etymology

From bachelor + -ly (Old English suffix meaning in the manner of or having the quality of). Unlike -like which means resembling, -ly here means in the manner or style of, as in kingly or gentlemanly.

Kelly Says

Bachelorly appears frequently in 18th and 19th-century literature as a quality to admire or satirize—what counted as bachelorly behavior depended entirely on whether the author thought bachelorhood was smart independence or shameful irresponsibility.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Adverbial form inherits the gendered prestige embedded in 'bachelor'; suggests that unmarried comportment or lifestyle follows masculine norms.

Inclusive Usage

Use adverbial forms tied to actual behavior ('neatly', 'independently', 'solitarily') rather than invoking gendered personhood.

Inclusive Alternatives

["independently","autonomously","solitarily"]

Related Words

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