entirely

Everyday

1. Entirely means completely, totally, in every way. tree →
2. Entirely can mean only, as in «entirely made of wood». tree →

In the lessons

In school writing and maths it makes a statement strong: «The shape is entirely shaded» means every part is shaded. In everyday speech «not entirely» means «not completely», a polite way to disagree. Phrases: «entirely different», «entirely your fault», «not entirely sure», «made entirely of».

Examples

• The house was made entirely of wood. tree →
• I'm not entirely sure where we are. tree →
• It was entirely my fault, and I'm sorry. tree →
• The rectangle is entirely shaded, so the fraction is one whole. tree →
• The two stories are entirely different. tree →
• The cake was eaten almost entirely by the dog. tree →
• The decision is entirely up to you. tree →
• It was made entirely of ice. tree →

Note

Spelled entire + ly (keep the «e»). «Not entirely» is softer than «not at all». In maths, «entirely» means the whole, every part, 100 per cent.

In Jewish tradition

In school writing and maths it makes a statement strong: «The shape is entirely shaded» means every part is shaded. In everyday speech «not entirely» means «not completely», a polite way to disagree. Phrases: «entirely different», «entirely your fault», «not entirely sure», «made entirely of».

Examples

• As such a view is entirely re- pugnant to the modern critical raind, some writers regard this closing Mishnah as a later interpolation. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Spelled entire + ly (keep the «e»). «Not entirely» is softer than «not at all». In maths, «entirely» means the whole, every part, 100 per cent.