Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • conjunction Despite the fact that; although.
  • conjunction Conceding or supposing that; even if.
  • adverb However; nevertheless.
  • adverb Informal Used as an intensive.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Notwithstanding that; in spite of the fact that; albeit; while: followed by a clause, usually indicative, either completely or elliptically expressed, and noting a recognized fact.
  • Conceding or allowing that; however true it be that; even were it the case that; even if: followed by a subjunctive clause noting a mere possibility or supposition.
  • Hence, without concessive force, in the case that; if: commonly used in the expression as though.
  • Nevertheless; however; still; but: followed by a clause restricting or modifying preceding statements.
  • Synonyms Although, Though, etc. (See although.) While, Though. See while.
  • Notwithstanding this or that; however; for all that.

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

  • conjunction Granting, admitting, or supposing that; notwithstanding that; if.
  • conjunction as if.
  • adverb However; nevertheless; notwithstanding; -- used in familiar language, and in the middle or at the end of a sentence.

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

  • adverb conjunctive Despite that; however.
  • adverb degree Used to intensify statements or questions; indeed.
  • conjunction Despite the fact that; although.
  • conjunction archaic If, that, even if.

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

  • adverb (postpositive) however

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; see to- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English thagh, thaugh, from Old English þēah, later superseded in many dialects by Middle English thogh, though, from Old Norse *þóh (later þó), both from Proto-Germanic *þauh (“though”), from Proto-Indo-European *to-. Akin to Old Frisian þāh "though", Old Saxon þōh, Dutch doch, Old High German dōh (German doch). More at that.

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Examples

Comments

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  • This is a funny word, whichever way you look at it. One of my favourites in English.

    February 19, 2010