solely
Americanadverb
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as the only one or ones.
solely responsible.
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exclusively or only.
plants found solely in the tropics.
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merely.
She wanted solely to get out of the house for a while.
adverb
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only; completely; entirely
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without another or others; singly; alone
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for one thing only
Etymology
Origin of solely
Explanation
Solely is another word for "only" or "entirely": Your new puppy is solely your responsibility — you have to feed it, walk it, and take care of it all by yourself. Solely comes from the Latin sola, the feminine form of "alone," and if you know other Romance languages, you'll recognize it in, for instance, Italian solo, or Spanish solamente and French seulement. In English, a solo is a song you sing alone.
Vocabulary lists containing solely
"Shooting an Elephant"
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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5.4: The Second Industrial Revolution (Sources 1–8)
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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.
Davidson’s Gil Luria highlighted the valuation discrepancy between stocks that trade in the U.S. and those solely listed on exchanges elsewhere.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026
Even “Toy Story 4” — the first sequel of the official smartphone era, released in 2019 — didn’t have a handheld device in sight, focusing solely on the toys.
From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026
She played a full summer for Hampshire, solely contributing with willow in hand.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
Without mentioning personal vindication, he noted that soccer tends to judge solely based on the most recent result.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
Were they also not wearing the same garments that are now claimed to solely represent Islam?
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
