purely

adverb

pure·​ly ˈpyu̇r-lē How to pronounce purely (audio)
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

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 Some leaned on maternal instinct, and some acted purely out of anger. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023 Unlike the purely human-powered FX 2, which has a 46T/30T front chainring, the FX+ 2 has a 1x42T setup, which, paired with a 9-speed Shimano Altus groupset, works fine for a hybrid bike. Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2023 Happiness, in other words, isn’t something that just happens, or even purely circumstantial. Emma Firth, Vogue, 14 Nov. 2023 The primary driver of China’s economic slowdown has been the end of the property and infrastructure bubble, and that is a purely domestic phenomenon. Daniel H. Rosen, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2023 The transition from purely digital assets to a blend of digital and real-world assets could broaden the scope and appeal of NFTs, bridging the gap between the traditional financial realm and the burgeoning blockchain space. Anastasia Chernikova, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Leila Chavez proposed closing and selling all purely administrative buildings and having those personnel work remotely. Cynthia Howell, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2023 But some critics will make arguments purely out of self-interest. Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Nov. 2023 California is moving to outlaw watering some grass that’s purely decorative. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of purely was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near purely

Cite this Entry

“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purely. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

purely

adverb
pure·​ly ˈpyu̇(ə)r-lē How to pronounce purely (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on purely

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