purely
- 1Only and nothing besides; merely or simply.
His interest in the deal was purely financial.
They ran into each other purely by chance at the airport.
Similarsolely, merely, simply, only, entirely
Note
Here purely narrows rather than strengthens. A purely political strategy has no violent side, and a purely platonic dinner is not a date. It usually stands before an adjective of kind, or before a phrase like by chance, and rules out every alternative. Context separates it from the regional "completely" meaning: this one limits a category, while that one heightens a feeling.
- 2Completely or wholly; really, to the full extent.
By the end of the harvest the whole family was purely exhausted.
He was purely tickled to win first prize at the county fair.
Similarcompletely, utterly, thoroughly, totally, truly
Oppositepartly, slightly, somewhat
Note
Here the word works as an intensifier, and it now survives in regional American speech rather than in standard writing. It can strengthen a verb as well as an adjective, and it can even close a sentence on its own auxiliary, as in Warren Miller's Flush Times (1962): "I purely am." Outside dialogue it reads as dialect. In neutral prose, completely or truly does the same job.
- 3In a chaste and innocent way; without sin or fault.
The monks vowed to live purely, free from sin and worldly desire.
He resolved to love her purely, without any selfish intent.
Similarchastely, innocently, virtuously
Note
The moral counterpart of the "unmixed" meaning, and in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida (c. 1602) the two meet. There, faith is "strain'd purely from all hollow bias," filtered like a liquid, yet the purity meant is honesty of heart. The image shows how naturally innocence is pictured as something with nothing foreign mixed into it.
- 4In good health; feeling well.
He wasn't purely all winter, but the spring air soon revived him.
After weeks confined to bed, she finally seemed purely once more.
Similarwell, healthy, fit, hale
Oppositeill, sick, unwell, poorly
Note
Despite its -ly ending, this is an adjective, and it only follows a verb: people look purely or are purely, but never meet a purely child. Maria Edgeworth's Old Poz (1800) has a landlady glad to see the Justice "look so purely," and in Rachel: A Tale (1817) a cottager answers, "They be all purely." In both, the dialect speech around it marks where it belongs.
Less common meaning
- 5Without any physical impurities; in a refined state with nothing else mixed in.
The metal was refined so purely that the assayer found no trace of dross.
Only the spirit distilled most purely was set aside for the apothecary.
Note
The literal, physical use has become archaic. It describes something flowing or refined with no admixture left in it. Coleridge's Table Talk (1823) still has water that "flows purely," separated from the filth. A modern reader is likely to hear the "only" meaning instead, so present-day prose usually lets the adjective carry the idea: the water runs pure.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of purely apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origins
From Middle English purely, equivalent to pure combined with the suffix -ly.
Formed from pure combined with the suffix -ly.