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

These accounts underscore ongoing efforts to improve access for small and mid‑sized importers, pushing back on narratives that the process is purely skewed toward corporate giants. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

While officials say the measures are purely precautionary and not prompted by structural concerns, preservation experts have questioned whether the potential impact on nearby cultural sites has been fully assessed. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Organizations need to move away from prioritizing vulnerabilities purely through severity scoring. — Varun Badhwar, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Extreme heat in Europe is becoming increasingly frequent, evolving from a purely climate issue into an economic challenge. — CNBC, 4 Aug. 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