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
4
: in a chaste or innocent manner
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 is proof that sometimes divine intervention-like occurrences can happen, occurring purely via the Grace of God.
—
Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
From another, money is seen purely as a unit of account, a measurement like a meter or a year, so that the question of how much of it there is, is a category error, like asking how many inches there are in Europe.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
These tickets are purely General Admission, and attendees range from diehard racing fans who prefer to watch the action from the infield to young people who party all day and are hardly aware that there’s a race going on.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 13 May 2026
That means that the prevailing narrative of homelessness being a choice, or that people come here purely for the services or the sunshine, is simply a myth.
—Robin Epley, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for purely
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Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
From another, money is seen purely as a unit of account, a measurement like a meter or a year, so that the question of how much of it there is, is a category error, like asking how many inches there are in Europe.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
These tickets are purely General Admission, and attendees range from diehard racing fans who prefer to watch the action from the infield to young people who party all day and are hardly aware that there’s a race going on.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 13 May 2026
That means that the prevailing narrative of homelessness being a choice, or that people come here purely for the services or the sunshine, is simply a myth.
—Robin Epley, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for purely
Cite this Entry
“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purely. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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