different between thereby vs however

English

Etymology

From there +? by. Compare the parallel formation of German dabei.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ð???ba?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ð???ba?/
• Rhymes: -a?

Adverb

thereby (not comparable)

1. (formal) By it; by that; by that means, or as a consequence of that.
   • 1787, United States Constitution, Article VI:

     This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

Synonyms

• therefore, eo ipso

Translations

See also

English

Etymology

From Middle English however, how-ever, how-evere, equivalent to how +? ever. Compare also Middle English how-as-evere and howsoevere, how-so-evere (“howsoever”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /h????v?/
• (US) enPR: hou?v??r, IPA^(key): /ha???v?/
• (NYC) IPA^(key): /h?w?v?/
• Rhymes: -?v?(r)
• Hyphenation: how?ev?er

Adverb

however (not comparable)

1. Nevertheless; yet, still; in spite of (that).

   She wanted to go; however, she decided against it.
2. (degree) To whatever degree or extent
3. (manner) In whatever way or manner.
4. An emphatic form of how.

   However were you able to do it?

5. (obsolete) In any case, at any rate, at all events.
   • c. 1680, John Tillotson:

     Our chief end and highest interest is happiness : And this is happiness to be freed from all (if it may) [or] however from the greatest evils.

Synonyms

• (nevertheless): nonetheless, notwithstanding, that said, still and all; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
• (to whatever degree): ad lib, howsoever, howso
• (emphatic howin whatever manner): anyhow, howsoever, howso
• (emphatic how): how + the dickens (see Thesaurus:the dickens)
• (in any case): after all, anyway; see also Thesaurus:regardless

Translations

Conjunction

however

1. In whatever way or manner.

   she offered to help however she could

2. (proscribed) Although, though, but, yet.

Usage notes

• Both conjunctive uses of "however" are identical to adverbial uses except in punctuation (when written) and in prosody (when spoken). Hence, the following proscribed sentence:

  is equivalent to the following accepted one:

  which can also be written in two sentences::

  they are functionally equivalent to:

  • He told me not to do it, but I did it.
• In particular, when used as a conjunction in this sense, however always appears between the clauses it connects; it does not introduce a subordinate clause that can be moved to the start of an independent clause, but simply coordinates two independent clauses.

References

• however in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “however” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "however (degree)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• "however (despite)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• "however (way)" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• “however”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)

Anagrams

• everwho, whoever