How to use 'namely' in a sentence
Updated: Feb 17
'Namely' is very useful in a sentence when you want to add detail or be more precise.
As I have just started reading Prince Harry's book Spare, here are some royal examples of good usage:
..., namely + noun: King Charles III has two sons, namely William and Harry.
..., namely + that: The Royal Family has learned one thing, namely that silence is often golden.
...; namely, + a sentence that makes sense if it was on its own: Harry's book Spare reveals a great secret; namely, the Royal Family has troubles just like any other family.
Note that in the first two examples, 'namely' is preceded by a comma, but there is no comma following namely. In the third example, because 'namely' introduces a full sentence, you need to put a semi-colon in front of it and a comma after it.
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