seemly

English

Etymology

From Middle English semely, semelich, semelike, from Old Norse sœmiligr (“seemly”); equivalent to seem +‎ -ly. Cognate with Icelandic sæmilegur (“seemly, passable”), Danish sømmelig (“seemly”).

Adjective

seemly (comparative seemlier, superlative seemliest)

1. (of behavior) Appropriate; suited to the occasion or purpose; becoming.

   His behavior was seemly, as befits a gentleman.

   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     I am a woman, lacking wit / To make a seemly answer to such persons.

   • (Can we date this quote by Hooker and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Suspense of judgment and exercise of charity were safer and seemlier for Christian men than the hot pursuit of these controversies.

Synonyms

• apposite

Antonyms

• unseemly

Derived terms

• seemlihead
• seemlily
• seemliness

Translations

appropriate

• Armenian: պատշաճ (hy) (patšač)
• German: schicklich (de), anständig (de), gesittet (de), passend (de), vernünftig (de), korrekt (de), angebracht (de), angemessen (de)
• Italian: decente (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: ubicado (es), decente (es), adecuado (es)
• Swedish: passande (sv)

Adverb

seemly (comparative more seemly, superlative most seemly)

1. Appropriately, fittingly.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.i:

     The great earthes wombe they open to the sky, / And with sad Cypresse seemely it embraue [...].