In a weak manner; without strength, force, or effectiveness.
From Old English waec meaning 'soft' or 'pliant,' combined with the adverbial suffix -ly. The word evolved from describing physical softness to encompassing lack of strength in various contexts including physical, emotional, and logical domains.
In physics, 'weakly' has a precise technical meaning in 'weak nuclear force,' one of the four fundamental forces of nature responsible for radioactive decay. Ironically, this 'weak' force is actually stronger than gravity, showing how scientific terminology doesn't always align with everyday language intuitions.
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