metrically

1 of 2

adverb (1)

met·​ri·​cal·​ly ˈme-tri-k(ə-)lē 

: in a manner relating to or based on the metric system

… if your measuring cup isn't graduated metrically … then figure that 2 1/3 U. S. cups is the closest practical equivalent …

—Raymond Sokolov

metrically

2 of 2

adverb (2)

1

: with regard to rhythmic meter

written in metrically regular verse

There's little doubt that a number of lines are metrically incomplete, a fact that dovetails with what we know about the poet's working method …

—Daniel Mendelsohn

They want to liberate themselves from the 4/4 uniformity of the metrically conventional, constant jazz beat …

—Joachim E. Berendt

2

: with regard to measurement

The dental characters differ morphologically and metrically from those of the recent great apes …

—L. de Bonis et al.

Examples of metrically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The first passage is a Spenserian stanza, nine lines long, the last line being an Alexandrine—consisting of six feet, that is, and thus metrically a foot longer than the iambic pentameters that precede it. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024

There is nothing there that metrically says: breakout year forthcoming. —Evan Grant, Dallas News, 28 Mar. 2023

The findings are suggestive of a predisposition for rhythmic movement in response to music and other metrically regular sounds. —Darlene Cavalier, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2010

Word History

Etymology

Adverb (1)

metric entry 2 + -ally

Adverb (2)

metrical + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

Adverb (1)

1878, in the meaning defined above

Adverb (2)

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1