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
-
for an express purpose; with specific intentions
-
plainly, exactly, or unmistakably
Other Word Forms
- unexpressly adverb
Etymology
Origin of expressly
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; 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.
Rules of Professional Conduct expressly forbid lawyers from communicating with a judge “unless authorized to do so by law or court order,” which he was not.
From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026
The government can elect to expressly be a buyer of last resort by only supporting suppliers when demand is weak, thus promoting more consistent production.
From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026
But as the AGs’ lawsuit notes, “Section 122 expressly differentiates between ‘balance of payments’ and ‘balance of trade.’
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
She said he was unfit for the job he was appointed to in 1971, with his previous conduct being "expressly disclosed" to Fettes by Eton.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
At that time, a meeting of all prisoners in the single cells was something that was expressly forbidden.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
