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Sometimes, some authoritative dictionaries give us the adverb below its adjective, but sometimes, for instance penitential, there is no other adverb given.

However, it seems like we need only to add -ly and penitential has its adverb: penitentially. What is the difference between adjectives where the adverb is listed and the ones where it exists, but is not listed?

(ps: I read carefully about the discussion below, actually, it is a question that most Chinese Engligh learners cannot or rarely use stance adverbs or adverb of manner that however, are often used by native speaker. In this case, if a Chinese English learner want to use stance adverbs or adverb of manner, for example, he is mentally ill, comprehensively analyze, how dose s/he know which word has a verb form, and that is why I mentioned dictionaries, which can show us the source)

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    No, not every adjective has its adverb. You can't do something bluely, for example.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Feb 24, 2023 at 10:19
  • I CV'd because I think that this belongs on Meta ELL (if anywhere). It seems to ask about conventions used in dictionaries, and questions about using English-learning resources (such as dictionaries) generally belong on Meta, not here.
    – MarcInManhattan
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 0:08
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    I do not think this should be closed. Just because the OP mentions dictionaries doesn't mean the question is only about them.
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 25, 2023 at 21:02
  • @MarcInManhattan I don't think it is about dictionary conventions... I think it is about whether there is a grammatical reason that a dictionary lists adverbs for some adjectives and omits others even though they exist. I don't think it belongs on Meta, because if it were strictly about dictionary conventions it would be answerable by general reference, i.e. finding where the dictionary explains its conventions.
    – ColleenV
    Commented Feb 27, 2023 at 13:55
  • @ColleenV I think that it wasn't very clear before, but your edit (e.g., the extra wording you added in the last sentence) helps to make that point. (Thanks for editing!) However, I'm still not entirely convinced, because some dictionaries do list "penitentially" as an adverb. I therefore still think that this might be a difference among dictionaries rather than a difference among words.
    – MarcInManhattan
    Commented Feb 27, 2023 at 16:05

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Some dictionaries, like The Free Dictionary, do list a form "penitentially." In general, with more obscure adjectives, you often can create an adverb by adding "-ly" even if the dictionary does not list them explicitly, at least if they end in a suffix like "-ial" to which "-ly" is often appended.

However, many more common adjectives do not have corresponding adverbs: fun, kindred, silken, and many others.

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    I hate to nitpick but silkenly is in Merriam-Webster. They also have bluely but I'd use it in the sense "having the blues" or depressedly rather than of the colour.
    – Stuart F
    Commented Feb 27, 2023 at 14:36

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