to wit

Idioms & Phrases

to wit

That is to say, namely, as in There are three good reasons for not going, to wit, we don't want to, we don't have to, and we can't get a reservation. This expression comes from the now archaic verb to wit, meaning "know or be aware of," not heard except in this usage. [Late 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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