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View synonyms for whether

whether

[ hweth-er, weth- ]

conjunction

  1. (used to introduce the first of two or more alternatives, and sometimes repeated before the second or later alternative, usually with the correlative or ):

    It matters little whether we go or stay. Whether we go or whether we stay, the result is the same.

  2. (used to introduce a single alternative, the other being implied or understood, or some clause or element not involving alternatives):

    See whether or not she has come. I doubt whether we can do any better.

  3. Archaic. (used to introduce a question presenting alternatives, usually with the correlative or. )


pronoun

, Archaic.
  1. which or whichever (of two)?

whether

/ ˈwɛðə /

conjunction

  1. subordinating used to introduce an indirect question or a clause after a verb expressing or implying doubt or choice in order to indicate two or more alternatives, the second or last of which is introduced by or or or whether

    he doesn't know whether she's in Britain or whether she's gone to France

  2. subordinatingoften foll byor not used to introduce any indirect question

    he was not certain whether his friend was there or not

  3. See either
    coordinating another word for either

    any man, whether liberal or conservative, would agree with me

  4. archaic.
    coordinating used to introduce a direct question consisting of two alternatives, the second of which is introduced by or or or whether

    whether does he live at home or abroad

  5. whether or no
    whether or no
    1. used as a conjunction as a variant of whether
    2. under any circumstances

      he will be here tomorrow, whether or no

  6. whether…or
    whether…orwhether…or whether if on the one hand…or even if on the other hand

    you'll eat that, whether you like it or not



determiner

  1. obsolete.
    which (of two): used in direct or indirect questions

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Usage Note

See if.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of whether1

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hwether, hwæther, equivalent to hwe- (base of hwā who ) + -ther comparative suffix; cognate with Old Norse hvatharr, Gothic hwathar

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Word History and Origins

Origin of whether1

Old English hwæther, hwether; related to Old Frisian hweder, hoder, Old High German hwedar, Old Norse hvatharr, hvarr, Gothic hwathar

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. whether or no, under whatever circumstances; regardless:

    He threatens to go whether or no.

More idioms and phrases containing whether

In addition to the idiom beginning with whether , also see not know whether .

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Example Sentences

Meanwhile, in Florida, Bush was flooded with questions about whether gay marriage could possibly come to the Sunshine State.

Will we discover whether or not Krieger is a clone this season, and will that be an ongoing plotline?

Take the chief metric of the war in Vietnam—body counts, which ultimately did not answer whether the strategy was working.

Instead, the man and woman in the truck wanted to know where the crash site was and whether would I show them.

In February, Slovakia will have a referendum on whether marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman.

Many so-called "humming tones" are given for practice, but in accepting them observe whether the foregoing principle is obeyed.

"I don't know whether I am going to like this or not--this coming to live in town," thought the little pig.

Whether they had ever, at different times, pleaded for or against the same cause, and cited precedents to prove contrary opinions?

Whether advocates and orators had liberty to plead in causes, manifestly known to be unjust, vexatious, or oppressive?

In fact, except for Ramona's help, it would have been a question whether even Alessandro could have made Baba work in harness.

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petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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whetwhether or not