Finesentence

Only Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

🔒
Save

only

on-ly

🇺🇸 /ˈoʊnɫi/ · 🇬🇧 /ˈəʊnli/

Definitions

Context #1 | Adverb

use

Without anyone or anything else; solely or exclusively.

Synonyms

exclusively, just, solely.

Examples of usage

  • She only wanted to help.
  • He is the only person who knows the truth.
Context #2 | Adjective

quantity

Being the single one or the only one of a kind; unique.

Synonyms

singular, sole, unique.

Examples of usage

  • This is the only copy of the book.
  • She is the only child in her family.
Context #3 | Conjunction

limitation

Except for the fact that; unless.

Synonyms

but, except, unless.

Examples of usage

  • I would go, only I have no time.
  • He would have passed the exam, only he didn't study enough.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Quick facts about “only”

Only is a 2-syllable adverb, adjective, and conjunction (on-ly). It is pronounced /ˈoʊnɫi/ in American English and /ˈəʊnli/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 3 meanings, 9 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages. It ranks #37 among the most common English words.

Origin of 'only'

The word 'only' originated from the Middle English word 'anly', which in turn came from the Old English word 'anlic', meaning 'unique'. Over time, the word evolved to its current form and usage in the English language.

See also: anyone, one, one's, oneness, oneself, onesie.

Rhymes

Only rhymes with lonely and conely.

See all rhymes →

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #37, this is one of the most fundamental words in English. It's absolutely essential to master this word as it forms the backbone of English communication and appears in almost every conversation or text.