only

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Contents

English [edit]

Alternative forms [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Old English ǣnlīċ, from Germanic; corresponding to one + -ly/-like. Cognate with Swedish enlig (unified), and obsolete Dutch eenlijk.

Pronunciation [edit]

Adjective [edit]

only (not comparable)

  1. Alone in a category.
    He is the only doctor for miles.
    The only people in the stadium were the fans: no players, coaches, or officials.
  2. Singularly superior; the best.
    He is the only trombonist to recruit.
    • Shakespeare
      Motley's the only wear.
  3. Without sibling; without a sibling of the same gender.
    He is their only son, in fact, an only child
  4. (obsolete) Mere.
    • 1603, John Florio, trans. Michel de Montaigne, Essays, I.40:
      I know some who wittingly have drawne both profit and preferment from cuckoldrie, the only name whereof is so yrksome and bail-ful to so many men.

Synonyms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

Adverb [edit]

only (not comparable)

  1. without others or anything further; exclusively
    my heart is hers, and hers only
  2. no more than; just
    if there were only one more ticket!
  3. as recently as
    he left only moments ago

Derived terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Conjunction [edit]

only

  1. Under the condition that; but.
  2. However.
    I would enjoy running, only I have this broken leg
  3. But for the fact that; except.

Translations [edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Related terms [edit]

Statistics [edit]

Anagrams [edit]