onlyadj/ˈoʊn.li/

• 1

  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.
• 2

  Singularly superior; the best.

  • Motley's the only wear.
  • But as to uſquebagh; ah long life to the liquor—it is an exhilirator of the bovvels, and a ſtomatic to the head; I ſay, Mr. Preſident, it invigorates, it ſtimulates, it—in ſhort it is the onlieſt liquor of life, and no man alive vvill die vvhilſt he drinks it.
• 3

  Without sibling; without a sibling of the same gender.

  • He is their only son, in fact, an only child.
  • To DAD ¶ who only reared twelve children ¶ and ¶ To MOTHER ¶ who reared twelve only children
• 4

  obsoleteMere.

  • 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.

onlyadv/ˈoʊn.li/

• 1

  Without others or anything further; exclusively.

  • In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.
  • My heart is hers, and hers only.
• 2

  No more than; just.

  • To DAD who only reared twelve children and To MOTHER who reared twelve only children
  • ‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’
• 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.
  • The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania. The first barrels of crude fetched $18 (around $450 at today’s prices).
• 4

  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.
• 5

  Used to express surprise or consternation at an action.

  • She's only gone and run off with the milkman!
  • The van said ‘BURT’S BURGERS’ on one side and ‘BURT’S PEST CONTROL’ on the other. Zoe stared at the van. The creepy man was only using the same vehicle for catching rats that he did for frying burgers!
• 6

  informalJust, simply, undoubtedly.

  • Sure you're only gorgeous!
• 7

  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.
• 8

  obsoleteAbove all others; particularly.

  • his most only elected mistress

onlyconj/ˈoʊn.li/

• 1

  informalIntroduces a clause with negative polarity, often one which upsets the listener's expectations.

  • You're welcome to borrow my bicycle, only please take care of it.
• 2

  informalIntroduces a clause with negative polarity, often one which upsets the listener's expectations.

  • I would enjoy running, only I have this broken leg.
  • She would get good results only she gets nervous.

onlynoun/ˈoʊn.li/

• 1

  An only child.

  • Sometimes, secondborns marry onlys and the conflicts are similar.
  • 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.

onlyparticle/ˈoʊn.li/

• 1

  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.
  • “No, you must listen to me,” the other replied. “I am Goh Chok Tong.” “I am the President, even bigger than you.” “President only! I am president of all the countries of the world!”