consist solely of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "consist solely of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a collection of things that are all the same without any other items included. For example, "The student's records consist solely of A's and B's."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Materials may consist solely of a chalkboard.

The New York Times

On one day per year, our competition can consist solely of Group One races.

The Guardian - Sport

They are taken in charge by a society that appears to consist solely of beautiful women.

The New Yorker

In this case, the wallet was mistakenly thought to consist solely of an unregistered Oyster card.

The Guardian - Money

Most of my classes consist solely of international students and often English is the classroom lingua franca, not French.

The Guardian

What this means is that we need a treatment model for psychosis that doesn't consist solely of medication.

The Guardian

Diageo is the largest global player in liquor, with about 9percentt of the market; without Burger King and Pillsbury, its holdings would consist solely of alcoholic beverages.

The New York Times

School appears to consist solely of biblical-theme videos (the zabbaleen are mostly Coptic Christian) and seems unlikely to advance Marina's dreams of becoming a doctor.

The New York Times

All late-night shows will be run by women and will consist solely of the host reading the guests' tarot cards.

The New Yorker

There's nothing particularly original about it, but it's a pleasure to find a band whose antics don't consist solely of tugging at Ian Curtis's rope.

The New York Times - Arts

The April show, she said, will consist solely of secular objects: Hopi figurines, Navajo weavings and, perhaps most prized, American Indian pottery.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "consist solely of" to clearly communicate that a collection contains only specific items and nothing else. This emphasizes exclusivity and can be helpful in technical descriptions, legal documents, or any context where precision is key.

Common error

Don't add extra adverbs that repeat the idea of "only" or "exclusively". For instance, avoid saying "consist solely and exclusively of" as it's redundant; the word "solely" already conveys the meaning of exclusivity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "consist solely of" functions as a predicate complement, specifying the exclusive composition of a subject. As Ludwig AI confirms, it emphasizes that something is composed of only certain elements.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

4%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "consist solely of" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression for indicating that something is composed exclusively of certain elements. As Ludwig AI points out, it's suitable for various contexts, ranging from formal writing to news reporting. Common usage patterns show its prevalence in news, science, and formal business contexts. For best practice, use it to eliminate ambiguity and clearly define boundaries while avoiding redundant expressions like "consist solely and exclusively of". Alternatives include "comprise exclusively of" or "be composed entirely of".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

comprise exclusively of

Emphasizes the exclusive nature of the components, using 'comprise' as a more formal synonym for 'consist'.

solely comprise

Inverts the structure for emphasis, placing 'solely' before 'comprise' to reinforce exclusivity.

be composed entirely of

Focuses on the makeup of something being 'entirely' of specific elements, stressing completeness.

be made up purely of

Highlights the 'pure' nature of the composition, suggesting no other elements are present.

be exclusively constituted of

Uses more formal language to express that something is made up only of certain elements.

be wholly formed of

Implies that something is 'wholly' or completely created from specific components.

only include

A simpler, more direct way of saying that something contains nothing else besides the specified items.

uniquely contain

Highlights the uniqueness of the contents, emphasizing that only certain elements are included.

only embrace

Suggests the items are not just included but actively 'embraced', indicating a deliberate choice.

be restricted to

Implies a limitation or constraint on what can be included, focusing on what is permitted.

FAQs

How can I use "consist solely of" in a sentence?

Use "consist solely of" to indicate that something is made up of only certain components and nothing else. For example, "The exhibit will consist solely of photographs from the 1920s."

What phrases are similar to "consist solely of"?

Similar phrases include "comprise exclusively of", "be composed entirely of", and "be made up purely of". All these options emphasize that a thing contains only the elements mentioned.

Which is more formal, "consist solely of" or "consist only of"?

"Consist solely of" is slightly more formal than "consist only of", as "solely" is a more formal synonym for "only". The choice depends on the context and your desired level of formality.

Is it redundant to say "consist solely and exclusively of"?

Yes, it is redundant. Both "solely" and "exclusively" convey the meaning of "only", so using them together is repetitive. Stick to either "consist solely of" or "consist exclusively of" for clarity.