merely
Americanadverb
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only as specified and nothing more; simply.
merely a matter of form.
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Obsolete.
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without admixture; purely.
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altogether; entirely.
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adverb
Etymology
Origin of merely
First recorded in 1400–50, merely is from the late Middle English word mereli. See mere 1, -ly
Explanation
Merely means "only." If you say "I was merely trying to help," your efforts were probably not appreciated and you're likely to be stalking off with your nose in the air. Merely comes from the Latin merus, ("undiluted"). But "undiluted" is positive — as in, "that's the undiluted truth" — in a way that merely is not. When you use merely, it always has a negative, disapproving tinge to it: You might say, "She was merely a minor player in that drama," but if you said, "She was merely the star of the show," you would mean it ironically, since being the star is the most important role.
Vocabulary lists containing merely
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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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.
You didn’t really lose the $300; you merely received the equivalent value built into the share price.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
In U.S. copyright law, the benchmark for using a copyrighted work without permission is to examine whether it is transformative, adding significant extra value to the output, rather than merely copying the work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
In fact, the nine most efficient teams on that basis all missed the playoffs and merely managed to be not completely terrible on shoestring budgets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
And on a point of fact regarding the question, the calendar is compiled by F1, not the FIA, which merely rubber stamps the schedule at its world council.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Back then, just as today, some teachers merely taught right and wrong answers.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
