expressly
Americanadverb
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for the particular or specific purpose; specially.
I came expressly to see you.
-
in a clear, direct, or definite manner; explicitly.
I asked him expressly to stop talking.
adverb
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for an express purpose; with specific intentions
-
plainly, exactly, or unmistakably
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expressly
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at express, -ly
Explanation
Something done expressly is done only for a very specific reason or purpose. Growing up, your grandparents' formal living room might have been used expressly for adult parties. A politician running for office might use campaign donations expressly for buying television ads, and a middle school student might use her school laptop expressly for chatting with her friends and posting photos online. In both cases, there is one very specific intention. The earliest, fourteenth century meaning of expressly was "in detail" or "plainly." By 1600, it came to mean "for the express purpose," from the Latin expressus, "clearly presented."
Vocabulary lists containing expressly
The Importance of Being Earnest
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The Merchant of Venice
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Pre-AP Theatre
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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 Government should expressly prohibit businesses from requiring digital IDs for age checks without offering reasonable alternatives," she added.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The majority, however, expressly declined to decide whether the ballroom is lawful.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
Degrees in pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, veterinary and chiropractic medicine, law, optometry, osteopathy, podiatry and theology are expressly covered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Nexstar countered that while Nunley’s order said Nexstar employees were restricted from serving as “officers,” it didn’t expressly say they couldn’t serve on Tegna‘s board as “directors.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“To the lake. When you were told expressly not to.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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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.
