only
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
only
- /ˈoʊn.li/
- /ˈəʊn.li/ UK
- /ˈəʊn.i/ UK
- /ˈaːn.li/ Northumbria
- /ˈoʊn.li/ US
- [ˈoːn.li] Canada
- [ˈɔːn.lɪ] Canada, dialectal
- /ˈonli/ South Asia
- /(w)ɵnˈli/ South Asia, dialectal
- /ˈwənli/ South Asia
- /oːnlɪ/ Early Modern
- /wɔnlɪ/ Early Modern, rare
Rhymes with -əʊnli
Where it comes from
From Middle English oonly, only, from Old English ānlīċ, ǣnlīċ (“only; singular; solitary”), from Proto-Germanic *ainalīkaz. Cognate with obsolete Dutch eenlijk, German ähnlich (“similar”), Old Norse álíkr, Swedish enlig (“unified”). By surface analysis, on(e) + -ly.
* Regarding the different phonological development of only and one, see the note in one.
adjective onely · onlie
- Alone in a category. He is the only doctor for miles.
- Singularly superior; the best. Motley's the only wear.
- Without sibling; without a sibling of the same gender. He is their only son, in fact, an only child.
- Mere. I know some who wittingly have drawne both profit and preferment from cuckoldrie, the only name whereof is so yrksome and bail-ful to so many men.
adverb onely · onlie
- Without others or anything further; exclusively. In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted
- No more than; just. To DAD who only reared twelve children and To MOTHER who reared twelve only children
- As recently as. c. 1924-1955, anonymous, The Urantia Book Only yesterday did I feed you with bread for your bodies; today I offer you the bread of life for your hungry souls.
- Emphasizing something that is just or necessary. It's only fair to let him borrow your kite, after you've had his toys all day.
- Used to express surprise or consternation at an action. She's only gone and run off with the milkman!
- Just, simply, undoubtedly. Sure you're only gorgeous!
- Introduces a disappointing or surprising outcome that renders futile something previously mentioned. They rallied from a three-goal deficit only to lose in the final two minutes of play.
- Above all others; particularly. his most only elected mistress
conjunction onely · onlie
- Under the condition that; but. You're welcome to borrow my bicycle, only please take care of it.
- But, except; but in fact. I would enjoy running, only I have this broken leg.
noun onlys · onlies · onely · onlie
- An only child. Sometimes, secondborns marry onlys and the conflicts are similar.
particle onely · onlie
- Placed at the end of a sentence to emphasize that something is trivial, small, undemanding or deserving of belittlement. Just need to replace the filter only.
