Kindly means in a kind, gentle, or considerate way. When a librarian kindly helps you find a book, she speaks warmly and takes time to make sure you get what you need. When someone kindly holds the door open for you, they're thinking of your comfort and showing genuine consideration.

The word describes actions done with genuine care and thoughtfulness. A teacher might kindly explain a difficult math problem again, using a patient tone that helps you feel comfortable asking questions. Your neighbor might kindly offer to water your plants while your family is on vacation.

You'll also hear kindly used in polite requests, though this usage can sound quite formal: “Would you kindly move your backpack?” This phrasing softens what might otherwise sound like a command, though depending on the tone of voice, it can sometimes carry a hint of impatience or sarcasm.

Notice that kindly suggests a warm spirit behind the action. Someone might help you because they have to, or they might help you kindly because they genuinely want to make things easier for you. That difference in spirit is what the word captures.

As an adjective, kindly can also describe a person or their expression, meaning kind and sympathetic.