only

English Online Dictionary. What means only‎? What does only mean?

English

Alternative forms

• (both obsolete) onely, onlie

Etymology

From Middle English oonly, onli, onlych, onelich, anely, from Old English ānlīċ, ǣnlīċ (“only; singular; solitary”), from Proto-Germanic *ainalīkaz, equivalent to one +‎ -ly. Cognate with obsolete Dutch eenlijk, German ähnlich (“similar”), Old Norse álíkr, Swedish enlig (“unified”). Regarding the different phonological development of only and one, see the note in one.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈəʊn.li/, (in fast speech) /ˈəʊn.i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈoʊn.li/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [ˈoːn.li]
  • (Dialectal) IPA^(key): [ˈɔːn.lɪ]
• Hyphenation: on‧ly
• Rhymes: -əʊnli

Adjective

only (not comparable)

1. Alone in a category.
2. Singularly superior; the best.
3. Without sibling; without a sibling of the same gender.
   • 1949, Frank B[unker] Gilbreth, Jr., Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Cheaper by the Dozen, dedication:

     To DAD ¶ who only reared twelve children ¶ and ¶ To MOTHER ¶ who reared twelve only children

4. (obsolete) Mere.

Synonyms

• (alone in a category): sole, lone; see also Thesaurus:sole
• (singularly superior): peerless, unequaled, nonpareil

Hyponyms

• client-only
• server-only

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

only (not comparable)

1. Without others or anything further; exclusively.

2. No more than; just.
   • 1949, Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Cheaper by the Dozen, dedication:

     To DAD

     who only reared twelve children

     and

     To MOTHER

     who reared twelve only children

3. 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.

4. Emphasizing something that is just or necessary.

6. (British) Used to express surprise or consternation at an action.
8. Introduces a disappointing or surprising outcome that renders futile something previously mentioned.
9. (obsolete) Above all others; particularly.

Synonyms

• (without others): See also Thesaurus:solely
• (no more than): See also Thesaurus:merely
• (as recently as):
• (above all others):

Derived terms

• if and only if
• if only
• only if
• only to

Translations

Conjunction

only

1. (informal, clause-initial) Introduces a clause with negative polarity, often one which upsets the listener's expectations.
   1. Under the condition that; but. (clarification of this definition is needed)

   2. But, except; but in fact. (clarification of this definition is needed)

Related terms

• if only

Translations

Noun

only (plural onlys or onlies)

1. An only child.

Translations

References

• “only”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Lyon, lyon, noyl, ynol