merely
Americanadverb
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only as specified and nothing more; simply.
merely a matter of form.
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Obsolete.
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without admixture; purely.
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altogether; entirely.
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adverb
Etymology
Origin of merely
First recorded in 1400–50, merely is from the late Middle English word mereli. See mere 1, -ly
Explanation
Merely means "only." If you say "I was merely trying to help," your efforts were probably not appreciated and you're likely to be stalking off with your nose in the air. Merely comes from the Latin merus, ("undiluted"). But "undiluted" is positive — as in, "that's the undiluted truth" — in a way that merely is not. When you use merely, it always has a negative, disapproving tinge to it: You might say, "She was merely a minor player in that drama," but if you said, "She was merely the star of the show," you would mean it ironically, since being the star is the most important role.
Vocabulary lists containing merely
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The real breakthrough won't come until these systems are not merely capable of translating but also of telling us when they're not sure," Yvon says.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Davis’ attorney argued to the jury that the memoir was merely an attempt to sell books and that Davis fabricated his role in Shakur’s death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Under the zero-trust approach, devices don’t trust each other merely because they are on the same network.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
"This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law," Brittas said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
Dodos, as you know, are extinct; therefore, this rather gloomy phrase means that the thing being described is not merely dead.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
