solely

American  

[sohl-lee] / ˈsoʊl li /

adverb

1. as the only one or ones.

   solely responsible.

2. exclusively or only.

   plants found solely in the tropics.

3. merely.

   She wanted solely to get out of the house for a while.

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solely British  

/ ˈsəʊllɪ /

adverb

1. only; completely; entirely

2. without another or others; singly; alone

3. for one thing only

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Etymology

Origin of solely

First recorded in 1485–95; sole ¹ + -ly

Example Sentences

Iran’s sprawling security apparatus isn’t solely held together by ideology.

From The Wall Street Journal

Investors suggested they preferred a simpler story focused solely on fusion.

From The Wall Street Journal

In West Virginia, a project to build a gas-fired power plant intended solely to supply a massive data center is facing opposition from many residents concerned about its health and environmental impacts.

From Barron's

Here are our quarter-century teams for both the Angels and Dodgers, based solely on performances for those teams.

From Los Angeles Times

So here are our quarter-century teams for both the Angels and Dodgers, based solely on performances for those teams.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• completely
• entirely
• exclusively
• individually
• merely
• purely
• simply
• single-handedly
• totally
• wholly