only

on•ly

[[t]ˈoʊn li[/t]] adv.

1) without others or anything further; alone; solely; exclusively:

This information is for your eyes only[/ex]

2) no more than; merely; just:

only on weekends; If it were only true![/ex]

3) as recently as:

I read that article only yesterday[/ex]

4) in the final outcome or decision:

That will only make matters worse[/ex]

5) being the single one or the relatively few of the kind; lone; sole:

the only seat left[/ex]

6) having no sibling or no sibling of the same sex:

an only child[/ex]

7) but (introducing a single restriction, restraining circumstance, or the like):

I would have gone, only you objected[/ex]

8) +sts Older Use. except; but:

Only for him you would not be here[/ex]

•

- only too

Etymology: bef. 900; ME; OE ānlich, ǣnlich. See one, -ly usage: Some usage guides maintain that misunderstanding will arise if the modifier only is not placed immediately before what it modifies. Inserting only in the sentence The doctor examined the children might produce ambiguity in written English. The doctor examined only the children would signify that no one else was examined, whereas The doctor only examined the children could indicate either that the doctor did nothing else or that no one else was examined. In all varieties of speech and writing there has long been a tendency to place only before the verb in a sentence regardless of what it modifies. In spoken English the intended meaning may be conveyed by stressing the construction to which only applies.