merely

English

Etymology

From mere +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈmɪəli/
• (US) IPA: /ˈmɪɹli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adverb

merely (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Wholly, entirely. [16th-20th c.]
   • 1644, John Milton, Aeropagitica:

     It is not forgot, since the acute and distinct Arminius was perverted meerly by the perusing of a namelesse discourse writt'n at Delf, which at first he took in hand to confute.

2. (focus) Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more. [from 16th c.]

Translations

only, just, and nothing more

Arabic: بالكاد (b-il-kād) Croatian: prosto (hr), jedino (hr) Dutch: alleen (nl), louter (nl) French: simplement (fr), uniquement (fr), seulement (fr) German: lediglich (de), nur (de) Hungarian: csak (hu), csupán (hu) Italian: soltanto (it), solamente (it), meramente (it), semplicemente (it) Latin: sōlum (la)

Navajo: tʼóó Portuguese: meramente (pt), somente (pt) Romanian: doar (ro), abia (ro) Russian: только (tól’ko), просто (prósto) Spanish: meramente (es), sólo, solamente, uno y nada más Ukrainian: лише (uk) (lyshe) !Xóõ: ǁʻáa

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: arm · wrong · afraid · #647: merely · struck · man's · write