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.
Comparisons with modern spadefoot toads eventually convinced him that the differences represented something else entirely.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
He suspended the exercises entirely in 2018, during denuclearisation negotiations with Kim.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
At the same time, the state is legally mandated to switch entirely to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045, meaning it must produce more electricity while simultaneously cleaning up the electricity it produces.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Because the more Seemiller studies Gen Z, the more she finds a generation responding rationally to the world it inherited — not inventing entirely new values out of thin air.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Something entirely different could have happened, something even worse. Like maybe he would have grown squirrel teeth.”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
