Merely vs Mainly - What's the difference?
merely | mainly |
(obsolete) Wholly, entirely.
* 1644 , (John Milton), Aeropagitica :
(focus) Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.
(label) Forcefully, vigorously.
* , III.i:
(label) Of the production of a sound: loudly, powerfully.
*, II.31:
(label) To a great degree; very much.
Chiefly; for the most part.
*, chapter=12
, title=
In obsolete terms the difference between merely and mainly
is that merely is wholly, entirely while mainly is to a great degree; very much.merely
English
Adverb
(-)- It is not forgot, since the acute and distinct Arminius'' was perverted meerly by the perusing of a namelesse discourse writt'n at ''Delf , which at first he took in hand to confute.
Statistics
*mainly
English
Adverb
(-)- Mainly they all attonce vpon him laid, / And sore beset on euery side around.
- But in the end, mainly crying out, he fell to raling and wringing his master, upbraiding him that he was not a true Philosopher.
Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=She had Lord James' collar in one big fist and she pounded the table with the other and talked a blue streak. Nobody could make out plain what she said, for she was mainly jabbering Swede lingo, but there was English enough, of a kind, to give us some idee.}}
