Langimage
English

non-mysteriously

|non-mys-te-ri-ous-ly|

C1

🇺🇸

/nɑn məˈstɪriəsli/

🇬🇧

/nɒn mɪˈstɪəriəsli/

not secret; plainly

Etymology
Etymology Information

'non-mysteriously' is formed by the prefix 'non-' (from Old English/Latin use of 'non' meaning 'not') attached to 'mysteriously', where 'mysterious' ultimately comes via Latin from Greek 'mysterion' meaning 'secret'.

Historical Evolution

'mysterious' entered English from Old French (e.g. 'mysterieux') and Latin 'mysteriosus', which in turn came from Greek 'mysterion'; the adverbial suffix '-ly' produced 'mysteriously', and the negative prefix 'non-' was later attached to make 'non-mysteriously'.

Meaning Changes

Initially related to 'secret rites' or 'things kept secret' (from Greek 'mysterion'), the sense shifted to 'difficult to understand or explain'; 'non-mysteriously' now means 'in a way that is not secret or puzzling, plainly'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adverb 1

in a manner that is not mysterious; plainly or openly, without secrecy or puzzling elements.

She described the phenomenon non-mysteriously so her students could understand it.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/11/06 05:44