truly

adverb

tru·​ly ˈtrü-lē How to pronounce truly (audio)
1
: in all sincerity : sincerely
often used with yours as a complimentary close
2
: in agreement with fact : truthfully
3
a
: indeed
often used as an intensive
truly, she is fair
or interjectionally to express astonishment or doubt
b
: without feigning, falsity, or inaccuracy in truth or fact
4
: with exactness of construction or operation
5
: in a proper or suitable manner

Examples of truly in a Sentence

These truly dark clusters, if they are real, would betray the universe's dirty secret: Big piles of mass don't necessarily come with lights attached. Robert Irion, Science, 20 June 2003
By the time Columbus arrived, truly large empires existed only in Mexico. Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books, 12 June 2003
The streets and sidewalks of Bedley Run truly seemed as much mine as any person's, their almost affirming solidity underfoot, bouncing me along on my diurnal way. Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999
I truly believe they can do it. He truly enjoyed the concert. This is truly a different situation. A country is not truly democratic until all of its citizens can vote freely. Is this poll truly representative of the voters' intentions?
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The least among us would be best served by an act that truly focused on tax relief for families and workers. Bridget Grumet, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 At the end of the day, what will truly shine through is your desire to provide authentic value to your customers. Cassi Hallam, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 What has become apparent in recent years is BAFTA truly is the U.K.’s biggest Academy, in numbers (with a global membership tally of 12,000+) and in fame, comparable to the States’ AMPAS or Television Academy. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024 Some of the rooms Coster investigates in Season 1 are truly horrifying, categorized by unwashed clothes and sheets and mysterious liquids. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for truly 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Time Traveler
The first known use of truly was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near truly

Cite this Entry

“Truly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truly. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

truly

adverb
tru·​ly ˈtrü-lē How to pronounce truly (audio)
: in a true manner

More from Merriam-Webster on truly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!