1
a
: to a full extent : totally
purely by accident
b
: wholly, exclusively
a selection based purely on merit
2
: without admixture of anything injurious or foreign
4
: in a chaste or innocent manner
Examples of purely in a Sentence
They met purely by accident.
a selection based purely on merit
The organization's mission, purely and simply, is to provide food to people who need it.
It was purely and simply a matter of greed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Initially, these investments were approached with pause, purely because the value proposition for AI use cases was still unclear.
—
Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.d., Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
From purely a value standpoint, the Browns clubbed an Aaron Judge-sized home run in their trade with the Jaguars.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has argued its efforts are designed to curb anti-semitism and pro-Hamas views at universities, but civil rights groups have accused the government of punishing students purely for their political beliefs, in violation of the First Amendment.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2025
The meme coin serves purely for speculation on the market.
—Elaine Mallon, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purely
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Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.d., Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
From purely a value standpoint, the Browns clubbed an Aaron Judge-sized home run in their trade with the Jaguars.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has argued its efforts are designed to curb anti-semitism and pro-Hamas views at universities, but civil rights groups have accused the government of punishing students purely for their political beliefs, in violation of the First Amendment.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2025
The meme coin serves purely for speculation on the market.
—Elaine Mallon, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purely
Cite this Entry
“Purely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purely. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
purely
adverb
pure·ly
ˈpyu̇(ə)r-lē 
1
: to the full or entire extent
2
: without the addition of anything harmful or different
3
: for no other reason than : only
done purely for fun
4
: in an innocent manner
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