nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈnir-lē 

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

Synonyms

• closely
• near

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 total was nearly identical in 2016 when 35,999 voters showed up to the polls on day one. —Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

Smollett has remained committed to clearing his name in the nearly six years since his arrest. —Megan Thomas, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024

Millennials are nearly twice as likely as Gen-X to have student loans and Gen-Z is six times more likely than Baby Boomers to carry this debt. —Gary Drenik, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

The nearly $6 billion battery park in Glendale is expected to start production at Kentucky 1, one of the two battery plant facilities at the park, next year. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nearly

• nearly gave someone a heart attack
• not nearly
• pretty near/nearly

Kids Definition

nearly

adverb

near·​ly ˈni(ə)r-lē 

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