Pronunciation Adjective
only (not comparable)
- 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.
- That was the only time I went to Turkey.
- Singularly superior; the best.
- Without sibling; without a sibling of the same gender.
- He is their only son, in fact, an only child.
- 1949, Frank_Bunker_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
- (obsolete) Mere.
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 40, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], book I, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821 ↗:
- 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.
- (alone in a category) sole, lone; see also Thesaurus:sole
- (singularly superior) peerless, unequaled, nonpareil
- French: unique, seul
- German: einzig
- Italian: unico
- Portuguese: único
- Russian: еди́нственный
- Spanish: único
- French: unique
- German: geschwisterlos, Einzelkind (noun)
- Italian: solo, figlio unico
- Portuguese: filho único
- Russian: еди́нственный
- Spanish: único, hijo único (noun)
- German: einzigartig
- Portuguese: único, melhor
- Russian: исключи́тельный
- Spanish: único
only (not comparable)
- Without others or anything further; exclusively.
- My heart is hers, and hers only.
- The cat sat only on the mat. It kept off the sofa.
- 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
- The cat only sat on the mat. It didn't scratch it.
- If there were only one more ticket!
- 1949, Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Cheaper by the Dozen, dedication:
- As recently as.
- He left only moments ago.
Used to express surprise or consternation at an action. - She's only gone and run off with the milkman!
- Introduces a disappointing or surprising outcome that renders futile something previously mentioned. See also only to, only for''.
- They rallied from a three-goal deficit only to lose in the final two minutes of play.
- I helped him out only for him to betray me.
- (obsolete) Above all others; particularly.
- his most only elected mistress
- (without others) See also Thesaurus:solely
- (no more than) See also Thesaurus:merely
- (as recently as)
- (above all others)
- French: seulement, ne...que, uniquement
- German: nur, lediglich, allein
- Italian: solo, soltanto, solamente
- Portuguese: apenas, somente
- Russian: то́лько
- Spanish: sólo, solamente, solo
- French: que, seulement
- German: nur, lediglich
- Italian: solamente
- Portuguese: apenas, somente
- Russian: то́лько
- Spanish: solo, únicamente, solamente
- (informal) Under the condition that; but.
- You're welcome to borrow my bicycle, only please take care of it.
- But; except.
- I would enjoy running, only I have this broken leg.
- 1664 April 22, The Diary of Samuel Pepys:
- […] and pleasant it was, only for the dust.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Exodus 8:28 ↗:
- And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away.
- 1931, Dorothy L Sayers, The Five Red Herrings chapter 24:
- […] oot of a' six suspects there's not one that's been proved to ha' been nigh the place where the corpse was found, only Mr Graham.
only (plural onlys)
- An only child.
- 2013, Sybil L. Hart, Maria Legerstee, Handbook of Jealousy
- The consistent finding […] that infants who are onlies do not differ from those who have siblings despite their lesser history of exposure to differential treatment is perplexing.
- 2013, Sybil L. Hart, Maria Legerstee, Handbook of Jealousy
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