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# merely

adverb (merely)

«merely» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal) Merely means only or just, showing that something is small or not important. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#m1)
2. Merely can mean nothing more than: "It was merely a joke". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#m2)

### In the lessons

It appears in formal texts and stories: "She merely smiled". In maths texts it can tell you a number is small: "merely 3 out of 30". Everyday speech uses "just" or "only". Phrases: merely a, not merely ... but also.

### Examples

- It was merely a scratch, not a big cut. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x1)
- He merely shrugged and walked away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x2)
- I was merely asking a question. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x3)
- Merely 2 of the 30 pupils were late. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x4)
- The wolf was not merely hungry, but starving. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x5)
- The dog is merely playing; it won't bite. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x6)
- Saying sorry is not merely polite, it is kind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x7)
- She merely looked at the cake, but did not eat it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x8)
- And the man replied, ‘Why, I’ve merely been gathering a handful of brushwood.’ [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/#x9)

### Note

Formal; everyday words: just, only. Comes from "mere" (a mere child). "Not merely ... but also" = not only ... but also.

## In Jewish tradition

It appears in formal texts and stories: "She merely smiled". In maths texts it can tell you a number is small: "merely 3 out of 30". Everyday speech uses "just" or "only". Phrases: merely a, not merely ... but also.

### Examples

- Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/merely/#x1)
- As zero is not a digit itself, but only occupies the place of a digit, so the silent n is not a vowel itself, but merely occupies the place of a vowel. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/merely/#x2)

### Note

Formal; everyday words: just, only. Comes from "mere" (a mere child). "Not merely ... but also" = not only ... but also.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «merely» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/merely/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«merely» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/merely.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «merely» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/merely/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«merely» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/merely.html) on Mova free.