Meaning & use
rectally
Last updated
Meaning
adverbnot comparablemedical
By way of the rectum, which is the last part of the bowel.
Grammar: Usually follows a verb of giving or measuring: administered rectally.
Patterns
- administered rectally
- taken rectally
The medicine can be given rectally if the child is vomiting.
His temperature was taken rectally because the baby was very small.
The tablet should not be taken rectally unless a doctor advises it.
Common combinations
- administered rectally
- The drug is administered rectally in some emergencies.
- taken rectally
- A thermometer may be taken rectally for infants.
- given rectally
- The doctor said the dose could be given rectally.
- inserted rectally
- The suppository is inserted rectally.
Synonyms and how they differ
- anally
- Anally refers to the anus and is a broader or less precise term, while rectally names the rectum itself in medical use.
- per rectum
- Per rectum is the Latin medical phrase, often seen in clinical notes, whereas rectally is plain English.
Opposites
Word family
- rectum noun
- the final section of the large intestine
- rectal adjective
- relating to the rectum
- colorectal adjective
- relating to the colon and rectum
Commonly confused: rectally or rectal vs rectally?
rectally vs rectal vs rectally
Rectal is an adjective, as in rectal temperature, and rectally is the adverb, as in taken rectally.
Practice
The nurse explained that the medicine could be given ___ if the patient could not swallow.
Choose one answer.
An adverb is needed to modify given, and rectally is the adverb. Rectal is an adjective and rectum a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rectally”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.