entirely
Americanadverb
-
wholly or fully; completely or unreservedly.
I am not entirely satisfied with the architect's design.
- Synonyms:
- thoroughly, totally
-
solely or exclusively.
adverb
-
without reservation or exception; wholly; completely
-
solely or exclusively; only
Etymology
Origin of entirely
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at entire, -ly
Explanation
A white shirt that becomes covered entirely with mud is so completely and totally cloaked that no white will show through. Likewise, if your carelessness is entirely to blame for the muddied shirt, it was your fault and no one else's. The word entirely describes the idea of completeness and wholeness. For instance, someone could be entirely focused on a book they're reading, showing that it has their full attention. A room cleaned entirely has no dust or clutter anywhere, and a story told entirely includes every detail. Something done entirely by one person has been wholly completed by that one person.
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 effort is also entirely bipartisan, uniting Trump-supporting Republicans with young socialists in a fight for their land and resources.
From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026
The United Kingdom, for instance, considered doing away with checks entirely in 2009, but ultimately backtracked after pensioners protested to members of Parliament.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026
"While it is now at risk of extinction, it is still far from being lost entirely."
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
“It’s just a different customer, consumption dynamic, an entirely different route to market I don’t think they were prepared for,” said TD Cowen analyst Rob Moskow of Smucker.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
He lived entirely alone in a perpetually dying forest.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions 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.
