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

Vintage’s startup speed has resulted in some bumps in the road, namely a trademark infringement lawsuit from Ford. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026

In the 1970s, advertisers became less interested in shows set in rural America, and networks (namely, CBS) canceled several of them—Lassie, Green Acres. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 8 July 2026

Of course, cherry tomatoes do require a bit of maintenance—namely staking. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026

And Team Mexico brought along some spice, namely the ingredients for pozole, chile peppers, chipotle chiles and nopales. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 4 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