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

My mother felt that anyone—namely her best friend from college, Bonnie Vowell, who had landed in Connecticut, and her sister, Nell—who moved to New York had a certain presumption. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Among the potential defenses are those based on the First Amendment—namely, that the famed Mantle card has historical or cultural significance and that Cardsmiths’ version possibly offers commentary. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The Everyday category feels more accurate but just consists of reruns from the other categories – namely the knife blade and the bottle opener. — New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026

And yet the United States and its allies’ current defense architecture overemphasizes exquisite capabilities while their adversaries, namely China and Russia, possess vast industrial capacity to scale military production. — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 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