agonisticallyadv.

1707 Def. Doctr. Man-Christ Jesus 46 He cry'd so agonistically in the Garden, and on the Cross.

a1751 Visct. Bolingbroke Wks. (1754) IV. iv. xxxvii. 569 The approved custom of speaking and writing agonistically, or with oeconomy, that is, the custom of saying one thing and meaning another.

1836 T. Arnold in A. P. Stanley Life of Dr. Arnold (1844) II. viii. 33 Having written once agonistically, I wish next to write in another manner.

1861 J. Acton Let. 8 July in W. Ward Life Cardinal Newman (1912) I. xvii. 531 I am speaking agonistically all this time, not positively, only your arguments have not yet impressed me as strongly as your authority.

1958 Behaviour Suppl. No. 6. 109 It could also be postulated that the sexual stimuli attract the female onto the territory of the male where, even agonistically, she would be submissive.

1977 P. A. Parsons in Adv. in Genetics 19 8 When she arrives at the lek she is treated agonistically until the male determines her sex.

2005 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 99 55/1 What she calls an 'adversary,' which is an enemy whom one agonistically combats but whose existence is deemed legitimate.