Word
purely
Phoneticspure·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpjʊɹɫi/
UK/pjˈɔːli/
Adverb of degree
Definitions
01only or solely
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. only for one specific reason or purpose.
adv. exclusively or solely; used to limit the scope of a statement to a single factor or motive.
“The decision to move was purely for financial reasons.”
“The committee insisted that the selection process was purely merit-based, despite allegations of personal bias among the senior members.”
Usage
Often placed before a prepositional phrase or an adjective to narrow the focus.
Synonyms
02completely or entirely
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. completely or totally.
adv. wholly or entirely; used to emphasize that a quality is present without any other elements.
“The story she told was purely fictional.”
“The scientist argued that the phenomenon was purely physical and required no metaphysical explanation.”
Usage
Commonly modifies adjectives to show a total state.
Synonyms
03in a clean or moral way
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adv. in a way that is clean, honest, or morally good.
adv. in a chaste, innocent, or unadulterated manner.
“He lived his life purely, always trying to do the right thing.”
“The poet spoke of a love that existed purely in the spirit, untouched by the complications of the material world.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “purely” in context.
Verb
01. act purely out of spite
“He acted purely out of spite when he refused to help his former partner.”
verb + adv + prep + noun
02. based purely on speculation
“The news report was based purely on speculation rather than confirmed facts.”
verb + adv + prep + noun
03. motivated purely by greed
“The investigators believe the crime was motivated purely by greed.”
verb + adv + prep + noun
Adjective
04. purely academic
“The question of who would have won is purely academic now that the race is over.”
adv + adj
05. purely accidental
“The meeting was purely accidental, as neither of us knew the other would be in town.”
adv + adj
06. purely coincidental
“Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental.”
adv + adj
07. purely cosmetic changes
“The company made purely cosmetic changes to the app without fixing the underlying bugs.”
adv + adj + noun
08. purely financial reasons
“She decided to take the job for purely financial reasons.”
adv + adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“Lomachar's says his discovery came about purely by chance.” “That role is about more than purely the decisions made on the field.” Etymology
From Middle English purely, equivalent to pure + -ly.
From pure + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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