Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In whatever manner; to whatever extent or degree: as, however badly or rudely one may act; however distant from the starting-point.
  • At all events; in any case; by any means.
  • [However often occurs in recent colloquial or provincial use, chiefly in England, for how, interrogative and relative, where the proper usage is however, one or more words intervening. So whatever is similarly used for whatever.
  • Nevertheless; notwithstanding; yet; still: as, a costly article, which, however, is worth the price.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In whetever manner, way, or degree.
  • adverb At all events; at least; in any case.
  • conjunction Nevertheless; notwithstanding; yet; still; though

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb conjunctive Nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, that said, in spite of this.
  • adverb degree To whatever degree.
  • adverb chiefly UK, as an intensified form in interrogatives In what way; how.
  • conjunction In whatever manner.
  • conjunction To whatever extent.
  • conjunction proscribed Although, though, but, yet.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb despite anything to the contrary (usually following a concession)
  • adverb by contrast; on the other hand
  • adverb in whatever way or manner
  • adverb to whatever degree or extent

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English how +‎ ever.

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