Merely

Merely means 'only' or 'nothing more than', often used to make something sound smaller or less important. It downplays what follows.

From Middle English “merely” meaning 'completely, purely', from “mere” 'pure, unmixed, absolute', from Old English “mǣre” 'pure, unmixed'. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'purely' to 'only, just', often with a minimizing tone.