only.
Alone in a category.
Meaning & usage
Alone in a category.
He is the only doctor for miles.
The only people in the stadium were the fans: no players, coaches, or officials.
Singularly superior; the best.
Without sibling; without a sibling of the same gender.
He is their only son, in fact, an only child.
Mere.
Where this word 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.
Without others or anything further; exclusively.
My heart is hers, and hers only.
I threw out only him.
No more than; just.
The cat only sat on the mat. It didn't scratch it.
If there were only one more ticket!
As recently as.
He left only moments ago.
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.
He'd been belittling her for years. It's only natural that she left.
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.
I spent years studying a degree only to learn there was no requirement for such a certification.
Above all others; particularly.
Where this word 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.
Introduces a clause with negative polarity, often one which upsets the listener's expectations. Under the condition that; but.
You're welcome to borrow my bicycle, only please take care of it.
Introduces a clause with negative polarity, often one which upsets the listener's expectations. But, except; but in fact.
I would enjoy running, only I have this broken leg.
She would get good results only she gets nervous.
Where this word 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.
An only child.
Where this word 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.
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.
Where this word 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.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.