Definition of purelynext
1
as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed the devout girl vowed to live her life purely and in the service of God

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in solely
for nothing other than I fish purely for the fun of it—I don't care if I end up with no fish to fry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in only
nothing more than her pleasantries were purely for show and masked her true feelings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of purely Greenstein argues that companies should resist viewing AI purely as a cost-cutting tool. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 June 2026 While previous iterations of the Mini Shai-Hulud malware have focused purely on local secret scraping, the Miasma worm appears to have advanced data collectors specifically engineered for cloud identities in GCP and Azure. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026 That’s a huge gap, and, purely in financial terms, the new stock looks like a risky proposition. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Any prices or levels shown are either historical or purely indicative. Katie Stockton, CNBC, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for purely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purely
Adverb
  • There’s a particularly tragic scene where Natalia, lured on holiday by Elsa, spots a small child innocently giggling at the table across from her at dinner.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
  • For the person who innocently took her rugby kit to the hospital four years ago, representing her country would feel like a just reward for Balogun’s perseverance and strength of will.
    George Ramsay, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Adverb
  • All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, or its parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.
    Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 29 May 2026
  • Today, rumors circulating on social media in the DRC include false claims that Ebola is not real, that humanitarian workers are descending on the area solely for their own profit and that aid groups are withholding the best care available.
    Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 May 2026
Adverb
  • That conflict has not only affected politics at home and abroad, but American and international professional sports as well.
    Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 June 2026
  • Take Buffalo Trace’s parent company, for example, which makes more than 2,000 barrels a day that are used only once for bourbon, to preserve tradition and maximum flavor extraction.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Adverb
  • At least one person died and a child who was properly restrained in a car seat is OK, officers said.
    Brandon Downs, CBS News, 7 June 2026
  • If the reasoning in the memo struck immigration lawyers as dubious, this may have been because the agency’s office of chief counsel failed to properly vet it.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
Adverb
  • Designers have traded the exclusively minimalist mood of recent summers for options that encourage self-expression.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 9 June 2026
  • The five-part historical series examining the founding challenges and future of American democracy − executive-produced by Tom Hanks − debuts its trailer exclusively on USA TODAY before streaming June 24.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Adverb
  • With such popular attractions as Little Island, the Whitney, the Highline, and designer shopping just blocks away, the hotel is ideal for those who want to get out and explore—but still want to have lots of fun options to come back to.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026
  • And that's important not just because movie theaters are communal spaces where audiences are, at least ostensibly, forced to put down their phones and other distractions.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Adverb
  • The system claims ethically to create security and trust while morally destabilizing identity continuity and socially displacing human judgment with procedural authority.
    Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
  • Europe’s newfound openness to African industrialization is not because dependency suddenly became morally objectionable, but because Europe increasingly fears dependency itself.
    W. Gyude Moore, semafor.com, 25 May 2026
Adverb
  • In fact, this section of the trail is the perfect place to throw away the map (or turn off the Google Maps) and simply wander the cobblestone streets.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
  • Don't assume your grass is dry by simply looking at it, especially in the morning or late evening.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purely. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on purely

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster