notwithstanding

English

WOTD – 8 October 2007

Alternative forms

• noughtwithstanding (obsolete and rare)

Etymology

From Middle English notwithstandinge, notwithstondyng, natwithstandyng, equivalent to not +‎ withstanding. Compare Middle English notgainstonding, not aȝenstondynge, of similar meaning and formation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌnɒtwɪθˈstændɪŋ/
• IPA^(key): /ˌnɑtwɪθˈstændɪŋ/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (US):

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• Audio (AU):

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• Rhymes: -ændɪŋ

Adverb

notwithstanding (not comparable)

1. Nevertheless, all the same.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, i 4:

     But notwithstanding, man,
     I'll do you your master what good I can;

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:notwithstanding.

Synonyms

• (nevertheless): all the same, nevertheless, nonetheless, still, anyway, after all, regardless, yet; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless

Translations

never the less — see nevertheless

Conjunction

notwithstanding

1. Although.
   • 1724, Daniel Defoe, Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress, ch. 30:

     Upon which Amy had said, that notwithstanding I was angry with her and had used her so hardly for saying something about her of the same kind, yet there was an absolute necessity of securing her and removing her out of the way;

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:notwithstanding.

Usage notes

• The conjunction is sometimes expressed in the form notwithstanding that, as in "the front was nearly four miles in advance, notwithstanding that the men marched three abreast" (Dickens, Barnaby Rudge, ch. 49. See citations page.).

Translations

although

• Arabic: عَلَى اَلرَّغْم مِن (ʕalā r-raḡm min)
• Bashkir: ҡарамаҫтан (qaramaśtan)
• Bengali: অথচ (bn) (ôthôc)
• Finnish: vaikka (fi)
• French: bien que (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: obwohl (de), obgleich (de), wenngleich (de), obschon (de)
• Hungarian: noha (hu), bár (hu)
• Icelandic: enda þótt (is), þó að (is)
• Russian: хотя́ (ru) (xotjá)
• Turkish: olduğu halde, olmakla birlikte, olmasına karşın, olmasına rağmen, olsa da

Preposition

notwithstanding

1. In spite of, despite.
   • (Can we date this quote by Dr. H. More and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Those on whom Christ bestowed miraculous cures were so transported that their gratitude made them, notwithstanding his prohibition, proclaim the wonders he had done.

   • 1826, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 26, in The Last of the Mohicans:

     Notwithstanding the high resolution of Hawkeye he fully comprehended all the difficulties and danger he was about to incur.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:notwithstanding.

Synonyms

• maugre, regardless of; see also Thesaurus:despite

Postposition

notwithstanding

1. In spite of, despite.
   • 2014, Richard Rae, "Manchester United humbled by MK Dons after Will Grigg hits double", The Guardian, 26 August 2014:

     Van Gaal’s dismissal of his ability to play a central role notwithstanding, Shinji Kagawa began playing just behind the strikers Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernández.

   • 1679 — Habeas Corpus Act, section 11

     And be it declared and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that an Habeas Corpus, according to the true intent and meaning of this act, may be directed and seen in any county Palatine, the Cinque Ports, or other privileged places within the Kindgom of England, dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick upon Tweed, and the islands of Jersey and Guernsey; any law or usage to the contrary notwithstanding.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:notwithstanding.

Synonyms

• (in spite of): despite, in spite of, maugre

Derived terms

• notwithstanding clause (Canada)

Translations

in spite of

• Arabic: عَلَى اَلرَّغْم مِن (ʕalā r-raḡm min)
• Armenian: չնայած (hy) (čʻnayac)
• Catalan: no obstant (ca)
• Czech: přes (cs), vzdor (cs), navzdory (cs)
• Danish: trods, uagtet
• Dutch: niettegenstaande (nl)
• Esperanto: malgraŭ (eo)
• Finnish: huolimatta (fi)
• French: en dépit de (fr), nonobstant (fr), malgré (fr)
• German: ungeachtet (de), trotz (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: למרות (lamrot); אף על פי (af al pi)
• Icelandic: þrátt fyrir
• Ido: malgre (io)
• Irish: d’ainneoin, in ainneoin, ainneoin
• Portuguese: apesar de (pt)
• Romanian: in ciuda faptului ca
• Russian: несмотря́ на (ru) (nesmotrjá na), вопреки (ru) (vopreki)
• Spanish: no obstante (es)
• Swedish: oaktat (sv), trots (sv)

Noun

notwithstanding (plural notwithstandings)

1. An instance of the word "notwithstanding", often characteristic of legalese.
   • 2003, Banesh Hoffmann, The Tyranny of Testing (page 53)

     It is not for nothing that our language has its ifs and buts, its yets and howevers, its neverthelesses and notwithstandings, its possiblies and probablies and perhapses, and its on-the-other-hands.

   • 2004, Trevor Carolan, Down in the Valley: Writing in British Columbia (page 107)

     Letters from the English usually contained very formally typed documents with lots of heretofores and whereases and notwithstandings.

   • 2010, Richard Marcinko, Red Cell (page 149)

     The agreements were filled with wheretofores and herebys and hereafters and notwithstandings.