1
: to the exclusion of all else
done solely for money
2
: without another : singly
went solely on her way
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 on the Web
The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Deloitte or its personnel.
—
Fortune Editors, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
That's permitted the hiring of investigators and prosecutors that focus solely on this kind of fraud.
—Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
But Carro cautioned against making Leverkusen’s success solely about the bottom line.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Most things like this these days are solely about the latter.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2024
That allegation solely came from Geyser, and only after years of doctor evaluations that universally concurred in their schizophrenia diagnoses.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
O’Leary also stressed the importance of having a variety of movies, versus relying solely on blockbusters.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
The officials said only that their focus in making Monday’s announcement was solely on advancing U.S. manufacturing.
—Will Weissert, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
According to the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, most financial institutions require credit card applicants to the 21 years old to open a credit card alone and solely name as Bankrate points out.
—Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
Fortune Editors, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
That's permitted the hiring of investigators and prosecutors that focus solely on this kind of fraud.
—Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
But Carro cautioned against making Leverkusen’s success solely about the bottom line.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Most things like this these days are solely about the latter.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2024
That allegation solely came from Geyser, and only after years of doctor evaluations that universally concurred in their schizophrenia diagnoses.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
O’Leary also stressed the importance of having a variety of movies, versus relying solely on blockbusters.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
The officials said only that their focus in making Monday’s announcement was solely on advancing U.S. manufacturing.
—Will Weissert, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
According to the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, most financial institutions require credit card applicants to the 21 years old to open a credit card alone and solely name as Bankrate points out.
—Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near solely
Cite this Entry
“Solely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solely. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
solely
adverb
sole·ly
ˈsō(l)-lē 
2
: only entry 2 sense 1a
done solely for money
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