somente

Somente is a Portuguese adverb meaning "only," "solely," or "merely." It restricts the statement to a single element or idea, functioning similarly to the English "only." In everyday Brazilian and European Portuguese, it is commonly used in formal writing and in contexts where clarity is preferred. The word can replace "só" in many sentences, but it tends to carry a more formal or emphatic register. For example: "Somente quem passou no exame pode entrar" versus "Só quem passou no exame pode entrar."

Somente also appears in structured phrases such as "não somente... mas também" ("not only... but also"), used to emphasize an additional point.

Etymology: Somente comes from the Latin solus "alone" through the Romance languages, paralleling Spanish solamente and Portuguese apenas or só. The form "somente" is the standardized single-word spelling in modern Portuguese, while "só" remains common in informality.

Regional variation: In Brazilian Portuguese, "somente" is widely used in formal writing, official documents, legal texts, and news style notes; in informal speech many speakers prefer "só" or "apenas." In Portugal, "somente" also exists mainly in formal registers; everyday speech tends toward "só" and "apenas."

See also: Só, Apenas, Não apenas... mas também.