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
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.
We built an entirely new airport on time and on budget, and what was considered the worst airport in the country is now considered the best.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
"The emergence of this behaviour in macaques is both a functional and cultural one, like nutcracking in chimps, except it is driven entirely by proximity to humans," said biological anthropologist Dr Sylvain Lemoine.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
The researchers believe this virus represents entirely new types that have not been identified before.
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
“I’m not surprised by that, and I think it’s entirely consistent with Steve Hilton in 2010.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
She’s looking at me in an entirely different way now, with a new kind of warmth in her eyes.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
