Meaning & use
solely based
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
founded or dependent on one single thing and nothing else
Grammar: Usually used after 'be' and before 'on': The report is solely based on interviews.
Patterns
- be solely based on something
- solely based on evidence
- solely based on opinion
The movie is solely based on a true story from the 1920s.
Her decision was solely based on the advice of her doctor.
The ranking is solely based on customer reviews.
Common combinations
- solely based on
- The conclusion is solely based on the data we collected.
- solely based upon
- The theory is solely based upon earlier experiments.
- not solely based on
- The choice was not solely based on price.
Synonyms and how they differ
- entirely based
- Very close in meaning, but 'entirely' can suggest completeness rather than 'only one thing'.
- purely based
- Similar, but 'purely' often adds a sense of being unmixed or clean, not just single-source.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: solely based or solely based on?
solely based vs solely based on
Learners sometimes omit 'on': say 'based on', not 'based of' or 'based in' when naming the source.
Practice
The judge's decision was solely based ___ the written evidence.
Choose one answer.
'Based on' is the correct pattern when naming the source or foundation. 'Based in' is used for places (based in London), and 'at' and 'for' do not fit this phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “solely based”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.