1
: unquestionably the best : peerless
is convinced that his team is the only one
2
a
: alone in a class or category : sole
the only one left
the only known species
She's the only person you can really trust.
b
: having no brother or sister
an only child
3
: few
one of the only areas not yet explored
That was one of the only times I saw him cry.
1
a
: as a single fact or instance and nothing more or different : merely
has only lost one election—
George Orwell
George Orwell
b
: solely, exclusively
known only to him
2
: at the very least
it was only too true
3
a
: in the final outcome
will only make you sick
b
: with nevertheless the final result
won the battles, only to lose the war
4
a
: as recently as : not before
only last week
only in the last year did she get recognition
b
: in the immediate past
only just talked to her
Placement of Only in a Sentence: Usage Guide
The placement of only in a sentence has been a source of studious commentary since the 18th century, most of it intended to prove by force of argument that prevailing standard usage is wrong. After 200 years of preachment the following observations may be made: the position of only in standard spoken English is not fixed, since ambiguity is avoided through sentence stress; in casual prose that keeps close to the rhythms of speech only is often placed where it would be in speech; and in edited and more formal prose only tends to be placed immediately before the word or words it modifies.
Synonyms
Adjective
- incomparable
- inimitable
- matchless
- nonpareil
- peerless
- unequaled
- unequalled
- unexampled
- unmatched
- unparalleled
- unrivaled
- unrivalled
- unsurpassable
- unsurpassed
Adverb
Conjunction
Examples of only in a Sentence
Adjective
the only way to really appreciate the beauty of the forest is to walk through it
that is the only possible right answer
Adverb
She had been there only twice in her life.
There are only two more weeks until summer vacation.
It's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
Do you really have to leave? It's only eight o'clock.
He was only a baby when his father died.
Leave her alone. She's only a kid.
The building is only about 10 years old.
It was quiet in the room, but only for a moment.
She is only partly to blame.
The club is for women only.
Conjunction
I'd love to sing along, only I don't know the words.
They did have a radio, only it was broken.
We wanted to buy that painting, only it was far too expensive.
Recent Examples on the WebKatie Hill, Outdoor Life, 18 Apr. 2024
The demands from agribusinesses in the Central Valley for more water had received a friendly hearing from the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, who recognized that the valley was perhaps the only strongly Republican part of California.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The play is about a 20-something woman named Jordan (Naomi Lorrain), the only Black employee at a creative studio, whose office life is upended when her boss hires another Jordan (Toby Onwumere), who’s also Black, to be the company’s director of culture.
—Juan A. Ramírez, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Getty Images The blonde bangs weren't the only standout glam moment, either.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 18 Apr. 2024
But that’s not the only instance of art imitating Kahn’s life: one of his two children is also named Ben.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Boomers who are White, male or have college degrees are the most likely to be financially prepared for retirement, but many people of color, women and those with only high school educations are lagging, the study found.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024
Avoid logos The only logos that Beckham could stomach in 2006 were those belonging to Louis Vuitton and Fendi, thinking all the other brands to be a little too flash.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
That means the only alternative to showing up to a polling place on Nov. 5 is to make a plan in advance to vote absentee.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
What’s Elk Grove CBD? Elk Grove CBD, according to Grove, is the first and only dispensary of any kind in Elk Grove.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
Revolutions are always and only celebrated in hindsight, by the survivors and their descendants.
—John Kaag, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
In fact, documents concerning an essential mission, dubbed Operation Postmaster and undertaken by the British War Office, were only recently declassified.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
This is only the most recent instance of Ye facing potential charges after striking someone.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
The process renders the material not only fire-resistant and weather-proof but also—curiously enough—bug-resistant.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024
The two will appear only half a degree apart, according to the Society for Popular Astronomy; that’s around the same diameter as the moon.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
But that only brings us to problem number four—which has nothing to do with engineering and might be harder to solve than all the others.
—S. I. Rosenbaum, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The only way to know for sure is to test your deer for CWD.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 18 Apr. 2024
The demands from agribusinesses in the Central Valley for more water had received a friendly hearing from the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, who recognized that the valley was perhaps the only strongly Republican part of California.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The play is about a 20-something woman named Jordan (Naomi Lorrain), the only Black employee at a creative studio, whose office life is upended when her boss hires another Jordan (Toby Onwumere), who’s also Black, to be the company’s director of culture.
—Juan A. Ramírez, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Getty Images The blonde bangs weren't the only standout glam moment, either.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 18 Apr. 2024
But that’s not the only instance of art imitating Kahn’s life: one of his two children is also named Ben.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Boomers who are White, male or have college degrees are the most likely to be financially prepared for retirement, but many people of color, women and those with only high school educations are lagging, the study found.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024
Avoid logos The only logos that Beckham could stomach in 2006 were those belonging to Louis Vuitton and Fendi, thinking all the other brands to be a little too flash.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
That means the only alternative to showing up to a polling place on Nov. 5 is to make a plan in advance to vote absentee.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Adverb
The first and only House member to leap directly to the presidency was James Garfield more than 143 years ago.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
What’s Elk Grove CBD? Elk Grove CBD, according to Grove, is the first and only dispensary of any kind in Elk Grove.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024
Revolutions are always and only celebrated in hindsight, by the survivors and their descendants.
—John Kaag, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
In fact, documents concerning an essential mission, dubbed Operation Postmaster and undertaken by the British War Office, were only recently declassified.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
This is only the most recent instance of Ye facing potential charges after striking someone.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
The process renders the material not only fire-resistant and weather-proof but also—curiously enough—bug-resistant.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024
The two will appear only half a degree apart, according to the Society for Popular Astronomy; that’s around the same diameter as the moon.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
But that only brings us to problem number four—which has nothing to do with engineering and might be harder to solve than all the others.
—S. I. Rosenbaum, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'only.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near only
Cite this Entry
“Only.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/only. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
only
1 of 3 adjective
on·ly
ˈōn-lē 
1
: the best without doubt
it's the only thing for me
2
a
: alone in or of a class or kind : sole
the only survivor of the crash
b
: having no brother or sister
an only child
3
: few entry 2 sense 1
one of the only areas not yet explored
only
2 of 3 adverb1
a
: as a single fact or instance and nothing more or different
worked only in the mornings
b
: no one or nothing other than
only you know
2
: at the very least
it was only too true
3
a
: in the end
it will only make you sick
b
: with the result
found my pen, only to lose it again
4
a
: as recently as
only last week
b
: in the immediate past
only just saw her
only
3 of 3 conjunction
: except that
I'd play, only I'm too tired
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