nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈnir-lē How to pronounce nearly (audio)
1
: in a close manner or relationship
nearly related
2
a
: almost but not quite
nearly identical
nearly a year later
b
: to the least extent
not nearly as good as we expected

Examples of nearly in a Sentence

I see her nearly every day. We lived there for nearly two years. Nearly all of us got sick that weekend.
Recent Examples on the Web The demand for green space among participants was nearly unanimous, and attendees were also broadly enthusiastic about building new businesses and housing. Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024 In the past two presidential elections, the voting bloc has leaned consistently Democratic, with nearly 90% of Black voters in Milwaukee casting a ballot for the Democratic Party in 2012, 2016 and 2020. Steven Martinez, Journal Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2024 Or, at least, that’s the impression he’s given us over the course of nearly 15 years. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2024 The nearly 10-minute mini movie opens with Jackson running to the door of an underground club — where he’s blasted by a gust of white wind — before entering to silence as the clubgoers stare him down warily. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nearly 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nearly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nearly was in 1561

Cite this Entry

“Nearly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nearly. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nearly

adverb
near·​ly ˈni(ə)r-lē How to pronounce nearly (audio)
1
: in a close manner or relationship
nearly related
2
: almost but not quite
nearly the same
nearly missed the train
3
: to the least extent
not nearly enough

More from Merriam-Webster on nearly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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