Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

entirely

American  
[en-tahyuhr-lee] / ɛnˈtaɪər li /

adverb

  1. wholly or fully; completely or unreservedly.

    I am not entirely satisfied with the architect's design.
    Synonyms:
    thoroughly, totally

  2. solely or exclusively.

entirely British  
/ ɪnˈtaɪəlɪ /

adverb

  1. without reservation or exception; wholly; completely

  2. solely or exclusively; only

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of entirely

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at entire, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, Klymenko cautioned: "It is not entirely correct to make generalisations about the entire police only by the actions of two employees."

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Those currents have multiple overlapping causes and cannot entirely be described in terms of right and left.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

This does not mean binary stars lack planets entirely.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

The week in New Zealand will focus almost entirely on first-quarter inflation data due Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Anyway, Clare set his mind against that notion entirely.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.