merely

American  

[meer-lee] / ˈmɪər li /

adverb

1. only as specified and nothing more; simply.

   merely a matter of form.

2. Obsolete.

   1. without admixture; purely.

   2. altogether; entirely.

---

ˈmerely British  

/ ˈmɪəlɪ /

adverb

1. only; nothing more than

---

Etymology

Origin of merely

First recorded in 1400–50, merely is from the late Middle English word mereli. See mere ¹, -ly

Example Sentences

It’s more comparable to something out of a Disney or Universal theme park than another gallery that merely projects video onto a wall.

From Los Angeles Times

"These 74 sacred objects are not merely works of art; they are living witnesses to the genius of the Khmer ancestors and the spiritual heart of Khmer civilization," it added.

From Barron's

All of which would be merely clever if the eight-episode “Classic” were not—in addition to being the funniest series of recent memory—so devoted to the concepts of tradition and continuity in the theater.

From The Wall Street Journal

Stowe later claimed to have written as if in a trance, similar to the Spiritualists’ automatic writing: “I did not write it … God wrote it … I merely did his dictation.”

From Literature

"Aging-related anxiety is not merely a psychological concern, but may leave a mark on the body with real health consequences."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• hardly
• only
• purely
• simply
• solely