however
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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Contents |
[edit] English
| Rank of this word in the English language, from analyzing texts from Project Gutenberg. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| father | nor | moment | #227: however | enough | quite | brought |
[edit] Pronunciation
- (RP) IPA: /hɑʊˈεvə/, SAMPA: /haU"Ev@/
- (US) enPR: houĕvʹər, IPA: /haʊˈɛvɚ/, SAMPA: /haU'Ev@`/
- Audio (US)help, file
- Rhymes: -ɛvə(r)
- Hyphenation: how‧ev‧er
[edit] Adverb
however (not comparable)
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Positive |
Superlative |
- Nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, that said, in spite of this.
- He told me not to do it; however, I did it.
- (chiefly UK, as an intensified form in interrogatives) In what way; how.
- However did you do that?
[edit] Usage notes
- (nevertheless): Strunk and White's The Elements of Style argues that the adverb however, in its sense of "nevertheless", should be avoided at the beginning of a sentence. Other style guides argue that however is overused in this sense, whether or not at the start of a sentence.
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Translations
nevertheless
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intensifier: in what way
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
[edit] Conjunction
however
- In whatever manner.
- Do it however you want.
- To whatever extent.
- However far he may get, there'll be many that get further.
- However much you prepare for the exam, there will still be a few questions on which you won't be sure of the answer.
- (proscribed) Although, though, but, yet.
[edit] Usage notes
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(although): The use of however as a conjunction meaning "although" is identical to its use as a clause-initial adverb meaning "nevertheless", except in punctuation (when written) and in prosody (when spoken). Hence, the following proscribed sentence:
(proscribed) He told me not to do it, however I did it.
is equivalent to the following accepted one:
(accepted) He told me not to do it; however, I did it.
In particular, when used as a conjunction in this sense, however always appears between the clauses it connects; it does not introduce a true subordinate clause that can be moved to the start of an independent clause, because a conjunctive adverb cannot do that.
[edit] Translations
in whatever manner
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[edit] Anagrams
[edit] References
- “however” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- “however” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
- "however" in Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation.
- "however (degree)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press 2007.
- "however (despite)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press 2007.
- "however (way)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press 2007.
- "however" in Compact Oxford English Dictionary, © Oxford University Press, 2007.
- Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
- Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.

