truly

[ troo-lee ]

adverb

1. in accordance with fact or truth; truthfully:

   Whatever his faults, he lived a life that can be truly said to be significant.

2. legitimately; by right:

   Those assets and properties are no longer truly his.

3. really; genuinely; honestly:

   We're truly sorry for the delay.

4. to the fullest extent or degree:

   The property should be viewed to truly appreciate all it has to offer.

5. to a great extent or degree:

   The film is littered with some truly dreadful sequences.

6. sincerely (a conventional term used at the end of a letter):

   Yours truly, Allan Burns.

7. exactly; accurately; correctly:

   The clock runs truly.

8. rightly; properly; duly:

   To truly worship God, we must know Him and not be ignorant of His glorious nature.

9. indeed; without doubt; verily:

   Truly, she is a fair-haired angel.

10. Archaic. faithfully; loyally.

truly

/ ˈtruːlɪ /

adverb

1. in a true, just, or faithful manner
2. (intensifier)

   a truly great man

3. indeed; really

Word History and Origins

Origin of truly¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English treuli, Old English trēowlīce; tru(e) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

“He will face strong special interest opposition on these, but I look forward to partnering with him to truly make America healthy again.”

From Salon

“Some students arrived at school truly upset & even crying only to be bullied later by their classmates,” she added.

From Los Angeles Times

But what these angry pundits truly reveal is how little they understand about how science works.

From Slate

What would happen if you truly turned the immigration debate into an environmental debate?

From Salon

Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota Law School professor and former chief White House ethics lawyer, said that if Musk is truly working outside the government he doesn’t have to sell his assets, but that limits his influence.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• absolutely
• actually
• definitely
• exactly
• genuinely
• honestly
• legitimately
• positively
• rightly
• sincerely
• surely
• very