adv.
- and no one or nothing more besides.
▸no longer ago than.
▸not until.
- with the negative or unfortunate result that.
adj.
alone of its or their kind; single or solitary.
▸alone deserving consideration.
conj.
informal except that.
Phrase
- only just
- by a very small margin.
- very recently.
- only too ——
to an extreme or regrettable extent.
Usage
The traditional view is that, to avoid ambiguity, you should place the adverb only next to the word or words whose meaning it restricts: I have seen him only once rather than I have only seen him once. In practice, people tend to state only as early as possible in the sentence, generally just before the verb, and the result is rarely ambiguous.
Etymology
OE ānlic (see one, -ly1).
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