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

• 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

On the extreme, digital accessibility might be seen as purely a compliance issue – a means of adhering to regulations and avoiding lawsuits and bad publicity. —Gus Alexiou, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Faced with the challenges confronting today's health systems—limited budgets, aging populations, increasingly costly technologies—solutions often lean toward either purely technocratic fixes or financial cuts. —MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025

This is purely hypothetical, mind you. —Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025

Russian and Belarusian officials have framed the drills as purely defensive maneuvers. —Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025

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