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# only

«only» in Mova's school dictionary: **no more than, or just one** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adverb (only); adjective (only); conjunction (only — informal: but)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Only means no more than, or just one. «Only 3 are left» means just 3 are left. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m1)

2) Only means nothing or nobody else: «Only Sam knew». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m2)

3) An only child has no brothers or sisters. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m3)

4) «If only» shows a wish: «If only it would stop raining». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m4)

5) (informal) Only can mean «but»: «I'd come, only I'm busy.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m5)

6) (casual, sarcastic) «Only the best for you» or «oh, only 3 hours late» says the opposite of what it means. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m6)

7) (rough) «Only a muppet would…» is a put-down; «you only had one job» mocks someone who failed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m7)

8) (formal) «Solely», «exclusively» and «merely» are stiff words for only: «Admission is restricted exclusively to members.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#m8)

### sense in the lessons

In maths: tells a small amount or that a group is the whole; often marks what is left; «only half». In everyday life: rules («staff only», «for ages 8 and up only»). In science: «only one of the plants grew» picks out one result. In stories: «the only way out». In casual talk only is often sarcastic. In the exam voice: «solely», «a mere 4 items remain». Phrases: «only just» (barely), «not only … but also», «if only», «the one and only», «only child».

### examples

- Only 4 apples are left. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x1)
- She has only 2 dollars. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x2)
- He is the only boy in the class. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x3)
- Only half of the cake was eaten. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x4)
- She is an only child. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x5)
- This door is for staff only. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x6)
- If only I had brought my umbrella! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x7)
- The only way out was through the window. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x8)
- only 2 quid left after the shop, gutted (casual, UK) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x9)
- Oh, only an hour late, well done (sarcastic) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x10)
- You had one job — carry 6 eggs — and you broke 4. (rough) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x11)
- Subsequent to the sale, a mere 4 items remained; the vendor had initially possessed 19. Determine the number sold. (formal exam) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x12)
- But the Skin Horse only smiled. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/#x13)

### note

«Only» does not change the number; it stresses that it is small. Trap: «only 4 are left» gives the end amount, not the amount taken away. Where you put «only» changes the meaning: «Only I ate cake» (nobody else ate) vs «I ate only cake» (nothing else). «Only just» means barely (only just made it). Sarcasm trap: «only an hour late» means very late. «Not only … but also» adds two things. Formal «merely» and «solely» = only.

### In the corpora

- [The minimum payment barely covers the interest, so paying only the minimum keeps a debt going for years.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/13/)
- [Bailiffs can collect money owed only after a court decision and many warnings, under strict rules, and cannot take essentials.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/20/)
- [Lending money to friends can cause arguments, so many grown-ups only lend what they could afford to lose.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/22/)
- [A sale lowers prices; a bargain is only a bargain if you would have bought the thing anyway.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/9-when-money-is-tight/13/)
- [A baby who shares only one parent with you is your half-brother or half-sister.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/16-new-partners-and-step-families/20/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «only» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/only/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.