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Merely means only as specified and nothing more; simply: merely a matter of form. So, yes, it can and does mean only, although there are times that merely could not correctly be substituted for only.
- Merely means only as specified and nothing more; simply: merely a matter of form.
- So, yes, it can and does mean only, although there are times that merely could not correctly be substituted for only.
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Merely means only as specified and nothing more; simply: merely a matter of form.
So, yes, it can and does mean only, although there are times that merely could not correctly be substituted for only.
So, yes, it can and does mean only, although there are times that merely could not correctly be substituted for only.
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Can you think of an example where 'merely' cannot be used to mean 'only'. Also when I wrote 'cannot' does it have to be separate or attached?
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You can't substitue "merely" for"only" when "only" is used as an adjective:
You can substitute "He is merely a child" for "he is only a child" but you can't substitute "he is a merely child" for "he is an only child."
You can't say "this is the merely one" instead of "this is the only one."
You can substitute "He is merely a child" for "he is only a child" but you can't substitute "he is a merely child" for "he is an only child."
You can't say "this is the merely one" instead of "this is the only one."
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