purely

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "purely" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize that something is entirely or exclusively of a certain nature or quality. Example: "Her interest in the project was purely financial, with no emotional attachment involved."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A cornerstone of the good practice guidelines is that MBCT teachers have an established personal mindfulness practice and appreciate the common nature of human suffering, rather than teaching from a purely intellectual stance".

The Guardian

It is inaccurate to state that international law can be treated as a body of law to be moulded by purely domestic concerns of a member state of the Council of Europe, such as the distribution of membership of the UK parliament between political parties.

The Guardian

I attempted to write a young adult fairytale with Fearless, which I set out to construct in a purely mythological fashion.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It's nothing to do with my capabilities that I'm not there, it's purely circumstance but it is no drama.

The Guardian - Sport

Maybe she is just looking to get rid of her morality like she says Hannibal has, sinking into his world of purely aesthetic concerns and appetite for the flesh that seemed so alluring to her.

The Guardian

April 2006: Ahmadinejad announces Iran has joined the group of countries that have nuclear technology, but adds that this is purely for providing power, not producing weapons.

The Guardian

On spin-ups we increase the cadence to maybe 130-140 rpm - a purely neural, not muscular move.

The Guardian - Sport

"Most of the time, getting a job purely because you're a little person … is not a good thing," Jane wrote in an essay on her blog.

The Guardian

This isn't purely because some universities are less generous than others, often it is because some universities have far more poor students than others and, with limited budgets, can afford less spend per head.

The Guardian

Australia says Japan's claim that its whaling is purely for scientific purposes is a disguise for commercial whaling banned under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, to which Japan is a signatory.

The Guardian

To not address this and refine a text accordingly, purely because it would be an inaccurate representation of the original source artefact, seems bull-headed.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "purely" to clarify that a decision, action, or characteristic is based on a single factor or motivation, avoiding any implication of mixed influences. For example, "The decision was purely based on financial considerations."

Common error

Avoid using "purely" when describing situations with multiple contributing factors. It's more accurate to acknowledge the complexity rather than oversimplify with "purely". For example, instead of saying "The failure was purely due to lack of funding", consider stating all the factors involved.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "purely" modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate that something is done, exists, or is considered exclusively and without any other factors influencing it. Ludwig AI confirms its usage in various contexts, emphasizing its role in specifying singular motivations or conditions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

12%

Less common in

Academia

8%

Encyclopedias

7%

Wiki

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "purely" functions as an adverb to emphasize that something is exclusively of a certain nature, without any admixture. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and used "Very common" across diverse contexts, notably in news, business, and scientific domains. To ensure accurate and effective writing, use "purely" to specify singular motivations or conditions. Alternative words include "solely", "exclusively", and "entirely", each offering subtle differences in emphasis. Avoid using it in overly complex scenarios where multiple factors are at play.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

solely

Indicates exclusivity, similar to "purely", but can sometimes imply a stronger sense of 'only' or 'just'.

exclusively

Highlights that something is restricted to a specific entity or purpose, closely mirroring the meaning of "purely".

entirely

Emphasizes completeness or the whole extent of something, akin to one aspect of "purely".

merely

Downplays the significance or extent of something, but still suggests that nothing else is involved, as with "purely".

simply

Suggests ease or lack of complexity, and, like "purely", can denote that nothing more is the case.

completely

Indicates that something is done to its full extent or degree, reflecting the 'wholly' sense of "purely".

utterly

Intensifies the degree or extent of something, implying a total or absolute quality, comparable to "purely".

absolutely

Indicates a total or unconditional state, similar to the 'completely' aspect of "purely".

wholly

Signifies 'entirely' or 'fully', closely related to one sense of "purely" as referring to completeness.

strictly

Highlights adherence to specific rules or criteria, suggesting exclusivity, similar to "purely" focusing on one aspect.

FAQs

How can I use "purely" in a sentence?

"Purely" is used to indicate that something is exclusively or entirely of a certain nature. For example, "His motives were "purely altruistic"" means his motives were only altruistic and nothing else.

What words are similar to "purely"?

Similar words to "purely" include "solely", "exclusively", and "entirely". The choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "purely and simply"?

While not grammatically incorrect, "purely and simply" can sometimes be redundant. Using just "simply" or "purely" often suffices to convey the intended meaning, but it depends on context.

How does "purely" differ from "simply"?

"Purely" emphasizes exclusivity or completeness, while "simply" emphasizes a lack of complexity or additional factors. For example, "purely for scientific reasons" suggests no other reasons were involved, while "simply because" indicates a straightforward cause.