1. In a wrong use, improperly, incorrectly. Rhet. By improper use of language or terms; catachrestically.
1531. Elyot, Governour (1875), 16. Athenes and other citees of Grece … concluded to lyue as it were in a comminaltee, which abusiuely they called equalitee.
1664. Evelyn, trans. Freart, Paral. of Archit., vii. 24. The Ionic fluting which is abusively employ’d in this place.
1678. Cudworth, Intellect. Syst., 229. Goodness and Providence, Personated, are sometimes also Abusively, called Gods and Goddesses.
1728. Morgan, Hist. Algiers, II. i. 213. The Spaniards, most corruptly & most abusively murder & confound several Letters.
1836. Landor, Per. & Asp., Wks. 1846, II. 378. Her malignity alone could influence so abusively the generous mind of Agapenthe.
1874. Trench, Sacr. Lat. Poetry (ed. 3), Introd. 18. Numeri is only abusively applied to verses which rest on music and time, and not on the number of the syllables.
2. With abusive language; reproachfully, foully.
1755. Johnson, Dict., Abusively, reproachfully.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, George II. (1847), I. xii. 403. Delaval had spoken pompously and abusively against the petitioner.
1878. Lecky, Eng. in 18th Cent., II. ix. 579. Who were often themselves abusively attacked by ignorant lay preachers.
