1
a
: in a fortunate manner
It was happily the case that Mr. Crawley was not at home.—
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
b
: as it fortunately happens
Happily, some boyhood pleasures don't change.—P. A. Witteman
P. A. Witteman2
archaic
: by chance
3
a
: in a happy manner or state
happily married
… was happily shoveling a plate of ackee … into his mouth …—Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith
b
: in a very willing way
happily postponed the appointment
4
: in an adequate or fitting manner : successfully
Examples of happily in a Sentence
They have been happily married for 12 years.
They lived happily ever after.
We happily accept credit cards.
Recent Examples on the Web
While larger keys result in a larger device, most users happily sacrifice an extra inch or two of desk space to get a more user-friendly machine.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Monroe rocked up with her partner Dalton Gomez who boasts movie star good looks, but happily works in the real estate world.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Robert Read said his 12-year-old son, Theodore, who earned a black belt just before Christmas, is happily following Blanck to the new dojo.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The couple, who wore coordinating black and white outfits, happily hugged and kissed on the beach in the second and third shots.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for happily
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Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Monroe rocked up with her partner Dalton Gomez who boasts movie star good looks, but happily works in the real estate world.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Robert Read said his 12-year-old son, Theodore, who earned a black belt just before Christmas, is happily following Blanck to the new dojo.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The couple, who wore coordinating black and white outfits, happily hugged and kissed on the beach in the second and third shots.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for happily
Cite this Entry
“Happily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happily. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
happily
adverb
hap·pi·ly
ˈhap-ə-lē 
1
: in a fortunate or lucky manner
happily, no one was injured
2
: in a happy manner or state
lived happily ever after
3
: in a fitting, effective, or successful manner
remarks happily worded
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