solely

IPA/ˈsəʊlli/
KK[sˈoəli]IPA/ˈsəʊlli/

solely — adverb

1. used to say that only one person, thing, cause, or reason is involved, and that

1.adverbB2
Definition

used to say that only one person, thing, cause, or reason is involved, and that nothing or nobody else takes part or matters.

Example

The final decision rests solely with the board of directors.

solely with [person/group] — shows who holds responsibility

Noor's success was due solely to years of hard work and dedication.

due solely to [reason] — common causal pattern

Common collocations
  • solely responsible
  • based solely on
  • due solely to
  • rest solely with
  • solely for the purpose of
  • solely by means of
  • focused solely on
  • depends solely on
Synonyms
  • only

    far more common in everyday speech; 'solely' is more emphatic and formal

  • exclusively

    can imply deliberate restriction of access or availability; 'solely' is more neutral

  • merely

    weaker — means 'nothing more than' rather than 'nothing other than'

  • purely

    focuses on an unmixed reason or motive, while 'solely' can apply to participants or agents too

Antonyms
  • partially

    involves only some aspects rather than the whole

  • jointly

    involves multiple people together, not one alone

Grammar Patterns

solely + preposition (for, by, on, to, with)

solely + because / because of

due solely to [reason / cause]

based solely on [criterion]

Usage Note

Solely is more formal than 'only' and is typically placed immediately before the word or phrase it emphasises — a preposition (solely for, solely by), a conjunction (solely because), or an adjective. Unlike 'only', it cannot express recency ('I saw her only yesterday' ✗ cannot use 'solely').

Common Mistakes

He called solely yesterday.' (meaning 'just yesterday')
He called only yesterday.
'solely' cannot express recency; it only means 'exclusively.'
She is solely a teacher at the school.' (unnatural placement)
She is a teacher solely at the school.' or better: 'She works solely at the school.
'solely' typically modifies the following phrase, not the noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Only' is the everyday, neutral choice and works in almost any context. 'Solely' adds emphasis — it stresses that nothing and nobody else is involved. 'Exclusively' carries a hint of selective limitation (an exclusive club, an exclusive deal) and is less natural for causes or reasons. 'Merely' is weaker — it downplays the thing it modifies ('it's merely a suggestion') rather than narrowing the set of participants. 'Purely' focuses on motive or composition ('purely out of kindness'), while 'solely' can cover agents, causes, and methods with equal ease. Compare: 'The prize was decided solely by the judges' (no one else had a say) vs 'The prize was decided purely by the judges' (their motive was unmixed) — the first is about participation, the second about intention.

only ↗exclusively ↗merely ↗purely ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • almost solely
  • not solely
  • based solely
  • due solely
  • focused solely
  • rests solely
  • depends solely

Phrases

  • solely for the purpose of
  • solely on the basis of
  • solely because of
  • due solely to
  • rest solely with

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'sole' (meaning 'single, alone, only') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Sole' comes from Latin 'sōlus' ('alone, only, single'), via Old French 'sol'. The word has been used in English since the 1400s.