solely

play

adverb sole·ly \ ˈsō(l)-lē \

Definition of solely

1 :without another :singly

went solely on her way

2 :to the exclusion of all else

done solely for money

See solely defined for English-language learners

See solely defined for kids

Examples of solely in a Sentence

His rank was based solely on merit.
You will be held solely responsible for any damage.
She did not write solely for money.

Recent Examples of solely from the Web

Your vote should be based solely on each team's 1st, 2nd and 3rd-round top picks as shown.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "Ready, set ... judge! Vote on Greg Cote’s fantasy football draft," 30 Aug. 2017
The category of a storm is based solely on the maximum wind speed somewhere in the storm.

— brian mcnoldy, Washington Post, "Harvey will probably make landfall as a ‘major’ hurricane. Here’s what that means.," 25 Aug. 2017
As for last year, Petrino said blame for the sacks — the Cards gave up 47 in all, including 27 in the last four games — should not have fallen solely on the offensive line.

— steve jones, The Courier-Journal, "Oft-criticized Louisville offensive line: 'We've got a chip on our shoulder'," 5 Aug. 2017
Still, Kelly’s success won’t be dependent solely on his ability to pacify the warring factions within Trump’s West Wing.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "West Wing Chaos: Scaramucci Abruptly Fired as White House Communications Director," 31 July 2017
Still, Kelly’s success won’t be dependent solely on his ability to pacify the warring factions within Trump’s West Wing.

— vanityfair.com, "West Wing Chaos: Scaramucci Abruptly Fired as White House Communications Director," 31 July 2017
But Atamanuik’s series is not meant solely as a balm for sore liberals.

— laura bradley, HWD, "How Jordan Klepper’s New Show Is Trying to Change the Late-Night Game," 25 July 2017
The Brooklyn artists who brought us a museum dedicated to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen last year are teaming up with your favorite nostalgic Instagram account, @PopCultureDiedin2009, for an exhibit solely devoted to pop culture in the early 2000s.

— lauren alexis fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Museum Dedicated to Early 2000s Pop Culture Is Coming To New York," 24 July 2017
The test, which consists solely of a cheek swab inside a canine mouth, costs $200.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "What Breed Is Your Dog? Test Its DNA to Find Out," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'solely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of solely

15th century

solely Synonyms

Synonyms

alone, exclusively, just, only, purely, simply

Related Words

basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, mostly, predominantly, primarily, principally, substantially

Near Antonyms

additionally, also, besides, likewise

SOLELY Defined for English Language Learners

solely

play

adverb

Definition of solely for English Language Learners

: without anything or anyone else involved
: only or just

SOLELY Defined for Kids

solely

play

adverb sole·ly \ ˈsōl-lē \

Definition of solely for Students

1 :without another involved :alone

The decision is solely yours.

2 :²only 2

Sort the blocks solely by color.

Learn More about solely

See words that rhyme with solely Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for solely Spanish Central: Translation of solely Nglish: Translation of solely for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of solely for Arabic speakers

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Examples of solely in a Sentence

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First Known Use of solely

solely Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

SOLELY Defined for English Language Learners

solely

Definition of solely for English Language Learners

SOLELY Defined for Kids

solely

Definition of solely for Students

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