truly
Americanadverb
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in accordance with fact or truth; truthfully.
Whatever his faults, he lived a life that can be truly said to be significant.
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legitimately; by right.
Those assets and properties are no longer truly his.
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We're truly sorry for the delay.
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to the fullest extent or degree.
The property should be viewed to truly appreciate all it has to offer.
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to a great extent or degree.
The film is littered with some truly dreadful sequences.
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sincerely (a conventional term used at the end of a letter).
Yours truly, Allan Burns.
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exactly; accurately; correctly.
The clock runs truly.
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To truly worship God, we must know Him and not be ignorant of His glorious nature.
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indeed; without doubt; verily.
Truly, she is a fair-haired angel.
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Archaic. faithfully; loyally.
adverb
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in a true, just, or faithful manner
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(intensifier)
a truly great man
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indeed; really
Etymology
Origin of truly
First recorded before 1000; Middle English treuli, Old English trēowlīce; tru(e) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Truly is an adverb that means "in truth" or "really." You would say, "That is truly beautiful" or "It was truly a beautiful wedding." When you're truly sick, you're really sick. When you're truly sorry, you're sincerely sorry. A truly odd story is extremely strange or bizarre. A truly scary movie is terrifying. This word has to do with things that are actually or absolutely so. It's also used as a closing in letters. Instead of "Sincerely" or "Sincerely yours," many people write, "Yours truly" or "Very truly yours." The idea is: "I really mean this; you can trust me."
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.
On the football pitch, of course, he did things that were truly out of the ordinary.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Sterling was truly detestable in his time, but at least he fielded a highly competitive and exciting Lob City squad led by legendary coach Doc Rivers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
It’s a treat for adults and children alike, especially considering how much her sculptures make you want to reach out and touch, testing if they truly are made of metal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
"Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense you might be losing it," Colbert said while accepting an Emmy award last year.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
I had to truly become the person everyone thought I was.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
