Merely

Definition: Merely

Merely

Adverb

1. And nothing more; "I was merely asking"; "it is simply a matter of time"; "just a scratch"; "he was only a child"; "hopes that last but a moment".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "merely" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Synonyms: Merely

Smallness

Partially, in part; in a certain degree, to a certain degree; to a certain extent; comparatively; some, rather in some degree, in some measure; something, somewhat; simply, only, purely, merely; at least, at the least, at most, at the most; ever so little, as little as may be, tant soit peu, in ever so small a degree; thus far, pro tanto, within bounds, in a manner, after a fashion, so to speak.

Crosswords: Merely

Peace isn't merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice (Air Force One; writing credit: Andrew W. Marlowe)

I merely tell you the future of your planet is at stake (The Day the Earth Stood Still; writing credit: Harry Bates; Edmund H. North)

I am merely a humble butler (Clue; writing credit: Jonathan Lynn.)

No, I am merely stating that uhh life finds a way. (Jurassic Park; writing credit: Michael Crichton)

Anything else is merely hypothetical (Lola rennt; writing credit: Tom Tykwer)

I would devour where others merely nibbled (Smut; performing artist: Tom Lehrer)

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. (references; author: Mark Twain)

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. (references; author: unknown)

Many people lose their tempers merely by seeing you keep yours. (references; author: unknown)

Merely Mr. Hawkins (1938)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Barston Marston, Investigator of the Super Natural, and the Merely Natural (reference)

• Merely a Madness (reference)

• Merely Magic (reference)

• Merely Players (reference)

• Ruchira Avatara Hridaya-Siddha Yoga: The Divine (And Not Merely Cosmic) Spiritual Baptism in the Divine Way of Adidam (The Seventeen Companions of th (reference)

  (more book examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Microwave navigation system - shore installation on tower Tower merely a platform and not loaded A line-of-sight system -- the higher the tower, the further the reception Tested on SOSBEE. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Patrick Lyon, who suffered three months severe imprisonment on merely a vague suspicion for the internal robbery of the Bank of Pennsylvania. Credit: Library of Congress.

Merely recognizing a fact. Credit: Library of Congress.

Merely a friendly call. Credit: Library of Congress.

Merely a mirage!. Credit: Library of Congress.

Patrick Lyon, who suffered three months severe imprisonment on merely a vague suspicion for the internal robbery of the Bank of Pennsylvania / 'grav'd by J[ames] Akin [Philadelphia]. Credit: Library of Congress.

Merely Mary Ann Garden Theatre, New York, every evening & Saturday matinee. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

The conclusion from this reasoning is, that where the heads of departments are the political or confidential agents of the executive, merely to execute the will of the President, or rather to act in cases in which the executive possesses a constitutional or legal discretion, nothing can be more perfectly clear than that their acts are only politically examinable. (reference)

Political power, properly so called, is merely the organised power of one class for oppressing another. (reference)

Among these methods and principles, the following seem to the High Contracting Parties to be of special and urgent importance: First.­The guiding principle above enunciated that labour should not be regarded merely as a commodity or article of commerce. (reference)

We must make sure that its work is fruitful, that it is a reality and not a sham, that it is a force for action, and not merely a frothing of words, that it is a true temple of peace in which the shields of many nations can some day be hung up, and not merely a cockpit in a Tower of Babel. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

Our decision, therefore, cannot turn on merely a comparison of these tangible factors in the Negro and white schools involved in each of the cases. (reference)

To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

He seemed not merely happy with her, but proud

Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer

So that is merely one of the many instances of Sin causing suffering to others than the Sinner himself

Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife

So long as he had the Carmagnole merely for his chorus, he overthrew only Louis XVI.

They make shift to live merely by conformity, practically as their fathers did, and are in no sense the progenitors of a noble race of men.

The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Most physicians assumed that AD dementia was merely an inevitable consequence of aging. (references)

It may coexist with other sleep disorders (such as apnea), but this may be merely coincidental. (references)

Although finding the genes is an important advance in the fight against Usher syndrome, it is merely the first step in a long series. (references)

Business

Accordingly this segment of the industry is not significant but is merely a niche market for Korean industry. (references)

With forecasts for electricity consumption to rise, it is understandable that the opportunity to capture a share of this coveted market is one too alluring to merely passively observe. (references)

Secondly, customs code categories under which pollution control devices and equipment would fall also include equipment not used for pollution control, but these cannot be sorted out merely by code numbers. (references)

Civil Liberties

Burma

Some of the crosses had been erected in remembrance of former foreign missionaries while others merely were symbols of faith. (references)

Cuba

Charges of disseminating enemy propaganda, which includes merely expressing opinions at odds with those of the Government, can bring sentences of up to 14 years. (references)

Nicaragua

The journalistic community was divided sharply over whether such a law would improve the quality of journalism or merely restrict freedom of speech and of the press. (references)

Economic History

India

Merely transposing brands and products from other markets did not work. (references)

Ukraine

Unfortunately, most of these documents are merely declaratory, and lack the proper enforcement mechanisms. (references)

Ghana

Many potential local joint venture partners have little equity to offer and merely seek to capitalize on their knowledge of the local business environment. (references)

Human Rights

Iran

Others are show trials that are intended merely to highlight a coerced public confession. (references)

Guatemala

The police sometimes punished the use of excessive or illegal force by officers, but more often offenders merely were transferred to a different location. (references)

Belarus

In appeals neither defendants nor witnesses appear before the court; the court merely reviews the protocol and other documents from the lower court's trial. (references)

Minorities

Hungary

In 1999 the Government published an action plan designed to improve living conditions in Romani communities, with specific focus on public health, education, and work training; however, the plan provides no additional funds, it merely redistributes already inadequate resources. (references)

Political Economy

Venezuela

Supporters of Chávez's program dominate not merely the National Assembly, but also the other branches of government, thus somewhat compromising checks and balances. (references)

Iraq

Reports suggest that persons were executed merely because of their association with an opposition group or as part of a continuing effort to reduce prison populations. (references)

Political Rights

Libya

In theory popular political participation is provided by the grassroots People's Committees, which are open to both men and women, and which send representatives annually to the national General People's Congress (GPC). In practice the GPC merely approves all recommendations made by Qadhafi. (references)

Trade

Denmark

Flavors must be declared merely as "aroma" and it is possible to state "natural, nature identical or artificial" in accordance with the definitions in the flavor regulation. (references)

Nigeria

The incorporation documents in this instance would disclose that the solicitor is merely acting as an "agent" of a "principal" whose name(s) should also appear in the document. (references)

Travel

Ireland

It is not sufficient to merely label a product in conformity to national requirements for the development of the full market potential. (references)

Worker Rights

Ecuador

In some instances the Directorate has applied sanctions, but in others, it merely has helped to provide documents to child workers. (references)

Hong Kong

The Government does not encourage it, since the Government itself does not engage in collective bargaining with civil servants' unions but merely "consults" with them. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expression using "merely": not merely. Additional references.

Beginning with "merely": merely-secular.

Ending with "merely": pompous-merely.

Albanian

vetëm (alone, but, exclusively, just, lonely, nothing but, only, simply, singly, so that, sole, solely, solitary, solus), thjesht (but, open and shut, plain, plainly, purely, simply, without ceremony). (various references)

Arabic 

‏فقط (just, no more, nothing else, only, simply, solely), ‏مجرد (absolute, abstract, bare, just, mere, naked), ‏بكل بساطة (simply). (various references)

Bulgarian 

само (auto, barely, but, entirely, just, nothing but, only, purely, simply, solely), просто (barely, commonly, just, purely, simply). (various references)

Chinese 

僅僅 (barely, only), 僅 (barely, only), 只是 (but, only, simply), 只 (but, just, only, single), 但 (but, however, only, still, yet), 單�" (alone, pure, simple), 仅仅 (mere), 不過 (but, however, no more than, only). (various references)

Czech

pouze (alone, just, nothing but, only, purely, simply). (various references)

Danish

tilpasse artikel 4,stk.2,i konventionen af 27.9.1968 tilpasses kun den franske og luxembourgske opfattelse til lovgivningen i Belgien,i Forbundsrepublikken Tyskland,i Italien og i Nederlandene (German, Italian and Netherlands laws the French and Luxembourg concepts, to bring into line second paragraph of Article 4 of the Convention of 27.9.1968 merely brings into line with the Belgian), forlaengerforingsroer faststoebes af og til eller anbringes ved hjaelp af pakningsenheder foroven eller forneden,eller begge steder,eller ogsaa saettes de blot ned i bunden af borehullet (liners are sometimes cemented in place or set with packers at their top or bottom or both, or sometimes merely set on the bottom of the well). (various references)

Dutch

zeefpijpen worden soms gecementeerd of aan boven-en/of ondereind vastgezet met pakkers;ze worden ook wel eenvoudig op de bodem van de put geplaatst (liners are sometimes cemented in place or set with packers at their top or bottom or both, or sometimes merely set on the bottom of the well), aanpassen 4,tweede alinea,van het Executieverdrag heeft geen andere strekking dan dat de Franse en Luxemburgse opvattingen aan de Belgische,de Duitse,de Italiaanse en de Nederlandse wetgevingen worden aangepast (German, Italian and Netherlands laws the French and Luxembourg concepts, to bring into line second paragraph of Article 4 of the Convention of 27.9.1968 merely brings into line with the Belgian). (various references)

Finnish

vain (alone, but, exclusively, just, only, solely), pelkästään (only, simply), ainoastaan (alone, exclusively, just, only, solely). (various references)

French

simplement, seulement, purement, ne que. (various references)

German

lediglich (entirely, exclusively, just, only, simply). (various references)

Greek 

απλώσ (just, plainly, rustically, simply), απλώς (simply). (various references)

Hebrew 

בלב�" (just, only, solely, very), בעלמא (hit or miss, mere, unintentionally), רק (but, except, just, only), סתם (generality, just like that, just pretending, mere, vagueness). (various references)

Hungarian

pusztán, csupán (but, only, simply). (various references)

Indonesian

semata-mata (exclusively, simply), sekedar (just), hanya (just, simply), cuma (but, only). (various references)

Italian

soltanto (alone, but, exclusively, just, only, solely), solamente (alone, just, only, sheerly, solely), semplicemente (just, plain, simply, straightforwardly), puramente (just, only, purely), appena (as soon as, barely, freshly, hardly, just, new, only, only just, scarcely, soon, sooner). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

許り (approximately, just, nothing but, only), た� 者 (but, no more than, only, ordinary person), 僅僅 (no more than), 僅々 (no more than), 僅か (a little, only, small quantity), ぽたぽた落ちる (bit by bit, chubby, cloop, crunching sound, dabble in water, fat, having just ..., in large drops, piece by piece, pimples, plop, plump, pop, splash water, spots, to drip down, to fall in drops, to trickle down, trickle down in thick drops, with a pop), 啻に (only, simply), 単に (only, simply, solely). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

たった (but, no more than, only), た�"に (only, simply, solely), た� に (only, simply), き�"き�" (before long, nearness, no more than), ぽっきり (having just ...), ばかり (approximately, just, nothing but, only), わずか (a little, only, small quantity). (various references)

Korean 

단순하게 (singly). (various references)

Pig Latin

erelymay.(various references)

Portuguese

meramente (but, just, purely, simply), unicamente (all, only, solely), simplesmente (clean, plainly, purely, simply), apenas (alone, barely, but, exclusively, hardly, just, only, only just, scarcely). (various references)

Romanian

pur şi simplu (downright, just, literally, simply), numai (alone, barely, but, exclusively, just, mere, none but, only, simply, solely), cu totul (all, all in all, downright, entirely, every bit, most, out and out, outright, perfectly, plenty, quite, right, thoroughly, to the full, up to the nines, utterly, wholly). (various references)

Russian 

просто (artlessly, just, plainly, simply). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

samo (but, just, only). (various references)

Spanish

sólo (alone, by oneself, exclusively, just, on one's own, only, solely, unique), meramente (simply). (various references)

Swedish

endast (alone, but, entirely, exclusively, just, only, solely), blott (alone, bare, but, exclusively, if only, just, mere, only, solely), bara (alone, exclusively, if only, just, only, provided, so long as, solely). (various references)

Turkish

yalnız (alone, by yourself, exclusively, isolated, just, lone, lonely, lonesome, on one's tod, only, private, single handed, singly, sole, solitarily, solitary, unaccompanied, unattended), sadece (barely, but, exclusively, hardly, itself, just, nigh but, nothing but, nothing else, only, only just, purely, scarcely, simply, solely), sade (artless, austere, bald, bare, chaste, frugal, frugally, homely, homespun, just, mere, only, plain, pure, rustic, severe, simple, simplificative, sober, stark, unadorned, unmixed, unsophisticated), sırf (exclusively, mere, only, pure, purely, sheer, simply, solely, stark, very), ancak (alone, barely, but, exclusively, hardly, however, just, nevertheless, on the other hand, only, only just, purely, scarcely, solely, yet). (various references)

Ukrainian

тільки (alone, barely, but, entirely, exclusively, just, nothing but, only, purely), лише (alone, barely, only), просто (artlessly, bang, clean, simply). (various references)

Vietnamese 

chỉ (but, indicatory, only, thread, winding, winding-off, winding-on), đơn thuần. (various references)

modo, tantummodo. (various references)

Misspellings

"Merely" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Cerely, Emberley, emely, Erdelyi, Kerley, maely, Marelli, marey, markly, Mcevedy, Mceveily, mearly, medely, Meely, meerly, meery, meey, Megel, Mehrauli, Meneely, merecy, Meredydd, merels, merey, merily, Merkels, Merlay, merley, Merli, merol, Merrel, Merrey, Mersery, Mertel, merula, Merzey, Metelli, Mierlo, Mirela, Mirey, Morelia, Morelly, Murley, murly. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: emery, leery, merle.

-2 letters: eely, eery, elmy, eyer, eyre, leer, lyre, mere, merl, reel, rely, ylem.

-3 letters: eel, elm, eme, ere, eye, lee, ley, lye, mel, ree, rem, rye.

-4 letters: el, em, er, me, my, re, ye.

+2 letters: demurely, employer, empyreal, meagerly, meagrely, motleyer, reemploy, remotely, smeltery, yarmelke.

+3 letters: clergymen, employers, exemplary, extremely, germanely, hemelytra, liverymen, lysimeter, minelayer, reemploys, rhymeless, supremely, telemetry, yarmelkes.

+4 letters: cyclometer, elementary, fearsomely, gruesomely, hemelytron, lysimeters, measuredly, minelayers, moderately, polymerase, polymerise, polymerize, presumedly, reassembly, reemployed, remedially, semiyearly, terpolymer, tiresomely.

+5 letters: clergywomen, cyclometers, deliveryman, deliverymen, denumerably, dreamlessly, ephemerally, eurythermal, exemplarily, exemplarity, fellmongery, heartsomely, imperfectly, imprecisely, lammergeyer, mercenarily, mercilessly, meteorology, moneylender, myoelectric, permanently, polymerases, polymerised, polymerises, polymerized, polymerizes, prematurely, reemploying, temperately, terpolymers, wearisomely.