however

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled Howsiver

US /haʊˈɛvɚ/ UK /haʊˈɛvə/ See IPA manual

Freq #1269

Meanings

1

adv
Used to introduce a statement that contrasts with what was said before.

The conference went well. The party afterwards, however, was a disaster.
2

adv
In whatever way or manner.

She offered to help however she could.
3

adv
To whatever degree or extent.

However hard he tried, he could not open the door.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · used to introduce a... nevertheless nonetheless still yeteven so

3 adv · to whatever degree or extent. howsoever

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth

Etymology

From Middle English however, how-ever, how-evere; equivalent to how + ever. Compare howsoever.

however Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# however

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /haʊˈɛvɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /haʊˈɛvə/
**Frequency rank:** 1269

## Meanings
1. Used to introduce a statement that contrasts with what was said before.
2. In whatever way or manner.
3. To whatever degree or extent.

## Examples
- The conference went well. The party afterwards, however, was a disaster.
- She offered to help however she could.
- However hard he tried, he could not open the door.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: however

## Etymology
From Middle English however, how-ever, how-evere; equivalent to how + ever. Compare howsoever.

## AI Etymology
However comes from Middle English however, how-ever, how-evere; equivalent to how + ever. Compare howsoever. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adverbial form is built from the named base and affix. In current use, the main senses are “Used to introduce a statement that contrasts with what was said before” and “In whatever way or manner”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

markdown