purely

Everyday

1. Only, simply, for no other reason: «I did it purely for fun.» tree →
2. Completely, entirely: «a purely made-up story». tree →
3. In a clean, pure way, without anything mixed in. tree →

In the lessons

Common in explanations: «purely by chance», «purely for fun», «purely an accident». It tells the reader there is just one reason. In science, «purely» can mean with nothing mixed in. Phrases: «purely by chance», «purely and simply», «purely for».

Examples

• We met purely by chance at the park. tree →
• I joined the choir purely for fun. tree →
• It was purely an accident, I didn't mean to break it. tree →
• The story is purely made up. tree →
• The water was purely clean after boiling and filtering. tree →
• She trained purely and simply because she loved running. tree →
• And this was purely spite, for there was plenty of milk for everybody. tree →

Note

Adverb of «pure»; spelled «purely» (keep the «e»). Close to «only», «simply», «just». «Purely and simply» is a fixed phrase for strong emphasis.