purely

adverb

pure·​ly ˈpyu̇r-lē 

1

a

: to a full extent : totally

purely by accident

b

: wholly, exclusively

a selection based purely on merit

2

: without admixture of anything injurious or foreign

3

: simply, merely

read purely for relaxation

4

: in a chaste or innocent manner

Synonyms of purely

• innocently
• properly
• chastely
• morally

Examples of purely in a Sentence

They met purely by accident.

a selection based purely on merit

The organization's mission, purely and simply, is to provide food to people who need it.

It was purely and simply a matter of greed.

Recent Examples on the Web

This purely Canadian sports bar is hosting soccer fans whose goal is four different kinds of poutine starting at $16. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026

Those are not purely operational procurement questions anymore. —Prajkta Waditwar, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

That raised questions about whether the same technology could be used to make edits purely for parental preference rather than medical necessity. —Laura Dattaro, Scientific American, 10 June 2026

The Wayans both insist that Elizabeth didn't make the final cut for purely technical reasons. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for purely

• demurely
• maturely
• obscurely
• securely
• insecurely
• prematurely
• surely

Kids Definition

purely

adverb

pure·​ly ˈpyu̇(ə)r-lē 

1

: to the full or entire extent

2

: without the addition of anything harmful or different

3

: for no other reason than : only

done purely for fun

4

: in an innocent manner