purely
adverb
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Definition of purely
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Synonyms & Antonyms for purely
Synonyms
chastely, innocently, modestly, morally, righteously, virtuously
Antonyms
evilly, immorally, impurely, sinfully, wickedly
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Examples of purely in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Judge David Borowski said the murder was a case of good vs. evil in which a city official who was doing his job encountered three individuals acting on purely selfish motives. — William Langhorne, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Third man sentenced for murder of Milwaukee building inspector," 12 July 2019 In a purely capitalist system, a business pays all its own costs and keeps all its own profits. — David Roberts, Vox, "Coal left Appalachia devastated. Now it’s doing the same to Wyoming.," 9 July 2019 Because the awards are purely fictional, feel free to disagree or to create your own. — Jay Brinker, Cincinnati.com, "Guest TML: The midseason awards for 2019 Bengals, Reds, UC, FC Cincinnati, Tiger Woods," 28 June 2019 Part of the problem, however, is purely a population equation. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "North County beaches, among the best in state, get top grades for cleanliness," 26 June 2019 After three weeks in quarantine (to prevent a purely hypothetical moon-germ contagion), the three Apollo 11 astronauts got their ticker-tape parade and eternal glory. — Anchorage Daily News, "How did NASA put men on the moon? One harrowing step at a time.," 23 June 2019 On a purely metaphorical level, too, the work resonates today. — Ephrat Livni, Quartzy, "“Neon Genesis Evangelion,” a classic anime now on Netflix, tells the story of our lives," 23 June 2019 After three weeks in quarantine (to prevent a purely hypothetical moon-germ contagion), the three Apollo 11 astronauts got their ticker-tape parade and eternal glory. — The Washington Post, al.com, "How did NASA put men on the moon? One harrowing step at a time," 19 June 2019 After three weeks in quarantine (to prevent a purely hypothetical moon-germ contagion), the three Apollo 11 astronauts got their ticker-tape parade and eternal glory. — Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, "How did NASA put men on the moon? One harrowing step at a time.," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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purely
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of purely
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