Entirely
adverbCompletely or wholly, with nothing left out.
How to spell entirely
8 letters · 4 syllables
How to pronounce entirely
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does entirely mean?
- adverbCompletely or wholly, with nothing left out.
Entirely in a sentence
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The delay was entirely the fault of the supplier.
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She rebuilt the report entirely from scratch over the weekend.
Where does entirely come from?
Language of origin: Latin
This word comes from the Latin integer, which literally meant 'untouched' or 'whole', formed from the prefix in- 'not' and a root related to tangere 'to touch'. The same idea of something complete and undivided gave Latin its later adjective integrum, which passed into Old French as entier, meaning 'whole' or 'unbroken'. English borrowed the adjective 'entire' in the 1300s, and the adverb 'entirely' was built on it soon after by adding the native English suffix -ly. The Latin integer also survives in English as 'integer' for a whole number and in 'integrity' for an undivided, sound character, all sharing that same notion of wholeness. The spelling trap lies in the unstressed middle vowel and the silent 'e' of 'entire' being kept before the -ly is attached.
How the word is built
- entire (whole, complete)
- -ly (adverb suffix)
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