Wholly, entirely.
In plain English: Merely means something is done only or just for that specific purpose and nothing more.
"It was merely a small scratch on the car."
Usage: Use merely to mean "only" or "simply," indicating that something is nothing more than what has been stated. Avoid using it when you intend to mean "wholly" or "entirely," as those require words like purely or completely instead.
The word merely comes from Middle English mereli, which was formed by adding the suffix -ly to the adjective mere. It originally meant "pure" or "simple," and its usage evolved in English to describe something done without exaggeration or additional embellishment.