as1
Audio Help [az; unstressed uh
z] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [az; unstressed uh
z] Pronunciation Key –adverb
–conjunction
–pronoun
–preposition
—Idioms
| 1. | to the same degree, amount, or extent; similarly; equally: I don't think it's as hot and humid today as it was yesterday. |
| 2. | for example; for instance: Some flowers, as the rose, require special care. |
| 3. | thought to be or considered to be: the square as distinct from the rectangle; the church as separate from the state. |
| 4. | in the manner (directed, agreed, promised, etc.): She sang as promised. He left as agreed. |
| 5. | (used correlatively after an adjective or adverb prec. by an adverbial phrase, the adverbial as, or another adverb) to such a degree or extent that: It came out the same way as it did before. You are as good as you think you are. |
| 6. | (without antecedent) in the degree, manner, etc., of or that: She's good as gold. Do as we do. |
| 7. | at the same time that; while; when: as you look away. |
| 8. | since; because: As you are leaving last, please turn out the lights. |
| 9. | though: Questionable as it may be, we will proceed. |
| 10. | with the result or purpose: He said it in a voice so loud as to make everyone stare. |
| 11. | Informal. (in dependent clauses) that: I don't know as I do. |
| 12. | Midland and Southern U.S. and British Dialect. than. |
| 13. | (used relatively) that; who; which (usually prec. by such or the same): I have the same trouble as you had. |
| 14. | a fact that: She did her job well, as can be proved by the records. |
| 15. | New England, Midland, and Southern U.S. who; whom; which; that: Them as has gets. |
| 16. | in the role, function, or status of: to act as leader. |
| 17. | as … as, (used to express similarity or equality in a specified characteristic, condition, etc., as between one person or thing and another): as rich as Croesus. |
| 18. | as far as, to the degree or extent that: It is an excellent piece of work, as far as I can tell. |
| 19. | as for or to, with respect to; in reference to: As for staying away, I wouldn't think of it. |
| 20. | as good as,
|
| 21. | as how, Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. that; if; whether: He allowed as how it was none of my business. I don't know as how I ought to interfere. |
| 22. | as if or though, as it would be if: It was as if the world had come to an end. |
| 23. | as is, in whatever condition something happens to be, esp. referring to something offered for sale in a flawed, damaged, or used condition: We bought the table as is. |
| 24. | as it were, in a way; so to speak: He became, as it were, a man without a country. |
| 25. | as long as. long1 (def. 39). |
| 26. | as of, beginning on; on and after; from: This price is effective as of June 23. |
| 27. | as regards, with regard or reference to; concerning: As regards the expense involved, it is of no concern to him. |
| 28. | as such,
|
| 29. | as well. well1 (def. 18). |
| 30. | as well as. well1 (def. 19). |
| 31. | as yet, up to the present time; until now: As yet, no one has thought of a solution. |
[Origin: bef. 1000; ME as, als, alse, also, OE alswā, ealswā all so (see also), quite so, quite as, as; c. MD alse (D als), OHG alsō (MHG álsō, álse, als, G also so, als as, as if, because)
]
] —Usage note As a conjunction, one sense of as is “because”: As she was bored, Sue left the room. As also has an equally common use in the sense “while, when”: As the parade passed by, the crowd cheered and applauded. These two senses sometimes result in ambiguity: As the gates were closed, he walked away. (When? Because?)
As … as is standard in both positive and negative constructions: The fleet was as widely scattered then as it had been at the start of the conflict. Foreign service is not as attractive as it once was. So … as is sometimes used in negative constructions (… not so attractive as it once was) and in questions (“What is so rare as a day in June?”).
The phrase as far as generally introduces a clause: As far as money is concerned, the council has exhausted all its resources. In some informal speech and writing, as far as is treated as a preposition and followed only by an object: As far as money, the council has exhausted all its resources.
As to as a compound preposition has long been standard though occasionally criticized as a vague substitute for about, of, on, or concerning: We were undecided as to our destination. As to sometimes occurs at the beginning of a sentence, where it introduces an element that would otherwise have less emphasis: As to his salary, that too will be reviewed. As to what and as to whether are sometimes considered redundant but have long been standard: an argument as to what department was responsible. See also all, because, farther, like, so1.
As … as is standard in both positive and negative constructions: The fleet was as widely scattered then as it had been at the start of the conflict. Foreign service is not as attractive as it once was. So … as is sometimes used in negative constructions (… not so attractive as it once was) and in questions (“What is so rare as a day in June?”).
The phrase as far as generally introduces a clause: As far as money is concerned, the council has exhausted all its resources. In some informal speech and writing, as far as is treated as a preposition and followed only by an object: As far as money, the council has exhausted all its resources.
As to as a compound preposition has long been standard though occasionally criticized as a vague substitute for about, of, on, or concerning: We were undecided as to our destination. As to sometimes occurs at the beginning of a sentence, where it introduces an element that would otherwise have less emphasis: As to his salary, that too will be reviewed. As to what and as to whether are sometimes considered redundant but have long been standard: an argument as to what department was responsible. See also all, because, farther, like, so1.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
as if
To learn more about as if visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| as if
conj.
|
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
as if / as though
in the way one would expect if
Example: He acted as if he were mad; He spoke as though he knew all about our plans; He opened his mouth as if to speak; You look as if you are going to faint.
See also: as, as for, as to, "as if" in any languageExample: He acted as if he were mad; He spoke as though he knew all about our plans; He opened his mouth as if to speak; You look as if you are going to faint.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web
Perform a new search, or try your search for "as if" at:
- Amazon.com - Shop for books, music and more
- Reference.com - Encyclopedia Search
- Reference.com - Web Search powered by Google
- Thesaurus.com - Search for synonyms and antonyms














