however vs nevertheless what difference
what is difference between however and nevertheless
English
Etymology
From Middle English however, how-ever, how-evere, equivalent to how + ever. Compare also Middle English how-as-evere and howsoevere, how-so-evere (“howsoever”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /hɑʊˈɛvə/
- (US) enPR: houĕvʹər, IPA(key): /haʊˈɛvɚ/
- (NYC) IPA(key): /hɑwɛvə/
- Rhymes: -ɛvə(r)
- Hyphenation: how‧ev‧er
Adverb
however (not comparable)
- Nevertheless; yet, still; in spite of (that).
- She wanted to go; however, she decided against it.
- (degree) To whatever degree or extent
- (manner) In whatever way or manner.
- An emphatic form of how.
- However were you able to do it?
- (obsolete) In any case, at any rate, at all events.
- c. 1680, John Tillotson:
- Our chief end and highest interest is happiness : And this is happiness to be freed from all (if it may) [or] however from the greatest evils.
- c. 1680, John Tillotson:
Synonyms
- (nevertheless): nonetheless, notwithstanding, that said, still and all; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
- (to whatever degree): ad lib, howsoever, howso
- (emphatic howin whatever manner): anyhow, howsoever, howso
- (emphatic how): how + the dickens (see Thesaurus:the dickens)
- (in any case): after all, anyway; see also Thesaurus:regardless
Translations
Conjunction
however
- In whatever way or manner.
- she offered to help however she could
- (proscribed) Although, though, but, yet.
Usage notes
- Both conjunctive uses of “however” are identical to adverbial uses except in punctuation (when written) and in prosody (when spoken). Hence, the following proscribed sentence:
- is equivalent to the following accepted one:
- which can also be written in two sentences::
- they are functionally equivalent to:
- He told me not to do it, but 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 subordinate clause that can be moved to the start of an independent clause, but simply coordinates two independent clauses.
References
- however in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- “however” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- “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 Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
- Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
- Random House Webster’s Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)
Anagrams
- everwho, whoever
English
Alternative forms
- ne’ertheless (trisyllabic; archaic or poetic)
Etymology
From Middle English nevertheles, never-þe-les, nevere-þe-lesse, equivalent to never (“not at all”) + the + less; compare never the wiser.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈnɛvəðəlɛs/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈnɛvɚðəlɛs/
Adverb
nevertheless (not comparable)
- (conjunctive) In spite of what preceded; yet.
Synonyms
- (in spite of what preceded): even so, however, nonetheless, still, though, yet, notwithstanding; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
Translations
Further reading
- nevertheless in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- nevertheless in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
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