truly
Americanadverb
-
in accordance with fact or truth; truthfully.
Whatever his faults, he lived a life that can be truly said to be significant.
-
legitimately; by right.
Those assets and properties are no longer truly his.
-
We're truly sorry for the delay.
-
to the fullest extent or degree.
The property should be viewed to truly appreciate all it has to offer.
-
to a great extent or degree.
The film is littered with some truly dreadful sequences.
-
sincerely (a conventional term used at the end of a letter).
Yours truly, Allan Burns.
-
exactly; accurately; correctly.
The clock runs truly.
-
To truly worship God, we must know Him and not be ignorant of His glorious nature.
-
indeed; without doubt; verily.
Truly, she is a fair-haired angel.
-
Archaic. faithfully; loyally.
adverb
-
in a true, just, or faithful manner
-
(intensifier)
a truly great man
-
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.
"Whether they are girls or boys, I hope they can break free from the shackles of gender and do what they truly want to do."
From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026
“So long as you truly intend to return, I think you’re fine,” said Beth Stevens, an election lawyer who worked for the Harris County clerk and the Texas Civil Rights Project.
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
“If you are truly worried about demand-driven inflationary pressures, that’s where you’d look to see it first.”
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
“So that we’re going to have to solve before we can truly say we’re one company.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
The weather was perfect—they were going to get some truly fantastic shots.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
