merely

[ meer-lee ]

/ ˈmɪər li /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR merely ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

only as specified and nothing more; simply: merely a matter of form.

Obsolete.

without admixture; purely.
altogether; entirely.

Nearby words

mercy stroke, merde, merdivorous, mere, meredith, merely, merengue, mereology, merese, meretricious, merganser

Origin of merely

First recorded in 1400–50, merely is from the late Middle English word mereli. See mere¹, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for merely

Later reports say that authorities claimed to be merely escorting him back to his house arrest.
Russia’s Rebel In Chief Escapes House Arrest|Anna Nemtsova|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“It was not merely the work in which he had constantly grown happier that he saw taken from him,” Howells notes.
The Novel That Foretold the TNR Meltdown|Nicolaus Mills|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The final question we should ask: are they pursuing justice and the rule of law, or merely silencing those who embarrass them?
Sentencing Looms for Barrett Brown, Advocate for “Anonymous”|Kevin M. Gallagher|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As Rathod noted, SIX is not supposed to be merely the opposite of ALEC.
The Left’s Answer to ALEC|Ben Jacobs|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I hope I can be forgiven for finding this echo more than merely coincidental.
Meet Moses the Swashbuckling Israelite|James Romm|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thus my memory was really correct; I had merely forgotten the experience to which it referred.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross
Infinite—this word is by no means the expression of a clear idea: it is merely the expression of an effort to attain one.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No. 1, July, 1863|Various
Latent heat is therefore not dissipated, it is merely transformed and has taken on the form of molecular elasticity.
Landmarks of Scientific Socialism|Friedrich Engels
Yet he merely looked at me with his trust-me-and-test-me expression.
The Prairie Child|Arthur Stringer
It seemed indeed as if she merely coquetted with the point, and Captain Jackman noticed it.
A Tale of Two Tunnels|William Clark Russell

British Dictionary definitions for merely

merely

/ (ˈmɪəlɪ) /

adverb

only; nothing more than

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012