namely

adverb

name·​ly ˈnām-lē How to pronounce namely (audio)
Synonyms of namely
: that is to say : to wit

Synonyms of namely

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Examples of namely in a Sentence

there's always one person stuck with cleaning up the mess, namely me
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One of the docs, Father’s House, uses actors, namely Trine Dyrholm, David Dencik and Emma Sehested Høeg, for reenactments of former members’ experiences inside the controlling Christian sect. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 The story also touches on the complex relationships between men, namely the dynamics of dominance, dependency, and betrayal. — Maria Papadouris, JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2026 The people of the internet—namely, the girlies—couldn’t get enough, matching it to their favorite lip shade and anticipating new colorways. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 20 Oct. 2026 When looking under the hood at some of its biggest components, many of the charts looked great from a risk/reward perspective, namely, CVS Health Corp . — Jay Woods, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for namely

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of namely was in the 14th century

Rhymes for namely

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Browse Nearby Words

nameless
namely
name names
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Cite this Entry

“Namely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/namely. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

namely

adverb
name·​ly ˈnām-lē How to pronounce namely (audio)
: that is to say
the cat family, namely, lions, tigers, and related animals
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