mere

¹ American  

[meer] / mɪər /

adjective

superlative

merest

1. being nothing more nor better than.

   a mere pittance;

   He is still a mere child.

2. Obsolete.

   1. pure and unmixed, as wine, a people, or a language.

   2. fully as much as what is specified; completely fulfilled or developed; absolute.

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mere ² American  

[meer] / mɪər /

noun

1. Chiefly British Dialect. a lake or pond.

2. Obsolete. any body of sea water.

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mere ³ American  

[meer] / mɪər /

Or mear

noun

British Dialect.

1. a boundary or boundary marker.

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mère ⁴ American  

[mer, mair] / mɛr, mɛər /

noun

French.

plural

mères

1. mother.

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-mere ⁵ American  

1. a combining form meaning “part,” used in the formation of compound words.

   blastomere.

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mere ¹ British  

/ mɪə /

adjective

1. being nothing more than something specified

   she is a mere child

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-mere ² British  

combining form

1. indicating a part or division

   blastomere

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mere ³ British  

/ mɪə /

noun

1. archaic a boundary or boundary marker

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mere ⁴ British  

/ mɪə /

noun

1. archaic a lake or marsh

2. obsolete the sea or an inlet of it

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mere ⁵ British  

/ ˈmɛrɪ /

noun

1. a short flat striking weapon

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–mere Scientific  

1. A suffix meaning “part” or “segment,” as in blastomere, one of the cells that form a blastula.

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Usage

What does -mere mean? The combining form -mere is used like a suffix meaning “part.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and anatomy. The form -mere comes from Greek méros, meaning “part” or “portion.” From this same source, we also get the combining forms -mer and -merous. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for both forms.

Related Words

Mere, bare imply a scant sufficiency. They are often interchangeable, but mere frequently means no more than (enough). Bare suggests scarcely as much as (enough). Thus a mere livelihood means enough to live on but no more; a bare livelihood means scarcely enough to live on.

Other Word Forms

• -meric combining form

Etymology

Origin of mere¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mer(e) “pure, clear, unmixed,” from Old French mier, mer, from Latin merus “pure, unmixed, simple, mere”

Origin of mere²

First recorded before 900; Middle English mere, mer, meire, Old English mer, mære “sea, ocean, lake, pond, well, cistern,” cognate with German Meer, Old Norse marr, Gothic marei, Old Irish muir, Latin mare

Origin of mere³

First recorded before 900; Middle English mere, mer, merre, Old English mǣre, gemǣre; cognate with Old Norse mæri “boundary, border land”; akin to Latin mūrus “defensive wall, city wall, boundary wall”

Origin of -mere⁵

Combining form representing Greek méros

Explanation

Mere means pure and simple, nothing more and nothing less. If the mere mention of someone's name makes you happy, then just hearing his name — and that alone — is enough to make you smile. Mere can have a little irony attached. If you introduce yourself as "a mere student," when you’re announcing your astounding invention, you're contrasting your lowly status with the enormity of your invention. This kind of mere comes from the Latin for "undiluted." Mere has a homograph — a completely different word that's spelled the same — and this mere means a lake or a pond. It’s related to the Dutch word meer — there’s lots of water in Holland.

Example Sentences

Mr. Magyar, a defector from Fidesz, campaigned hard on the economy, which grew a mere 0.4% in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

But since the deal was for a mere 2 million doses over three years, the HIV community was largely unimpressed.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Conversely, critics have been the ones quick to deem the film mere sensationalism, seemingly clinging to preconceived notions about how certain themes should be talked about within the medium.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

Defining the line between productive uses of capital and mere speculation is a never-ending battle.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

A mere six days after it first started erupting, a newspaper ran a picture of a young man who had climbed to the rim of the crater and back down.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• bare
• minor
• pure
• sheer
• simple