namely

adverb

name·​ly ˈnām-lē 

: that is to say : to wit

Synonyms of namely

• especially
• specifically
• specially
• to wit

Examples of namely in a Sentence

there's always one person stuck with cleaning up the mess, namely me

Recent Examples on the Web

But the necessity of paring down such a massive event has the effect of flattening the very elements that ought to give it its texture and heft — namely, the people involved. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

College partnerships also offer things that no professional sports team can—namely in the valuable young-adult demographic and a potential pipeline for employees. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 July 2026

Typically, front office exits such as Yzerman’s occur in mid-April; starting a search in mid-July creates obvious potential complications — namely, that training camp begins in seven weeks. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 30 July 2026

TFMs are built to treat tabular data as it is intended to be treated, namely that numeric data is treated like numbers. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for namely

• gamely
• lamely
• tamely

Kids Definition

namely

adverb

name·​ly ˈnām-lē 

: that is to say

the cat family, namely, lions, tigers, and related animals