adverb
Completely; with no other type or quality involved.
The plan is purely theoretical.
Her decision was purely personal.
Common phrases & grammar
purely theoretical · purely personal
purely + adjective
be + purely + adjective
American English
How to pronounce purely
adverbB2Common word
pyerlee
/pʰjɚ.li/
2 syllables.
Completely; with no other type or quality involved.
What to listen for
“Purely” is usually pronounced /ˈpʰjʊɹ.li/, but some speakers use /ˈpʰjɔɹ.li/.
Common pronunciation/ˈpʰjɚ.li/
Less common pronunciation/ˈpʰjɔɹ.li/
Usual pronunciation/ˈpʰjʊɹ.li/
Meanings & examples
adverb
Only; for no other reason or purpose.
I asked purely out of curiosity.
She went there purely for work.
Good to know
In many phrases, purely means “only,” not “in a morally pure way.”
Common phrases & grammar
purely by chance · purely for pleasure
verb + purely + for + noun
verb + purely + out of + noun