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Definitions

only

[ohn-lee] / ˈoʊn li /
ADJECTIVE
singular
Synonyms
STRONGEST
alone
WEAK
apart by oneself exclusive individual isolated lone matchless once in a lifetime one one and only one-shot particular peerless single sole solitary solo unaccompanied unequaled unique unparalleled unrivaled
ADVERB
barely; exclusively
Synonyms
STRONGEST
alone entirely hardly merely particularly purely simply solely
STRONG
but just
WEAK
at most nothing but plainly totally uniquely utterly wholly
Antonyms
STRONGEST
incompletely indefinitely

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one's life on the border. In these times, it is about living responsibly and fulfilling our duties to the nation in our daily lives," Modi said.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

I have many well-educated, capable friends, and only one has done this level of analysis.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

The biggest fixed-income index includes only investment-grade bonds, making it relatively easy to beat compared with stock benchmarks.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Nothing was felt at the surface, and Giardini stressed that by lubricating an existing fault, the team was adding only "about one percent of what is the natural risk".

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Harry was the only person he could talk to about it and keep a smile.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith