whatsoever
Americanpronoun
adjective
pronoun
Etymology
Origin of whatsoever
1200–50; Middle English, equivalent to what so whatever ( Old English swā hwæt swā ) + ever ever
Explanation
The word whatsoever is an old-fashioned way to emphasize a point. If you have no clue whatsoever who ate all the ice cream that was in the freezer, it means you truly have no idea at all who the culprit is. If you say that you have no doubt whatsoever that your cousin could be a model, you are placing emphasis on the fact that you're sure she's tall and thin enough to do the job. Whatsoever, originally quuat-so-euere, was first used in the thirteenth century, and while it's rare these days, it eventually led to the more modern and extremely popular word whatever.
Vocabulary lists containing whatsoever
Alex Trebek (1940–2020) Tribute List
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Sugar
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This Week In Words: November 30–December 6, 2019
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Neither the bank nor Ariane de Rothschild “knew of Epstein’s heinous crimes nor are they party to any proceedings whatsoever in connection with Epstein’s actions,” the bank said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
"With profound sorrow, we must assume political responsibility for this tactical error, which has no justification whatsoever," the statement read.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Japan "has no intention whatsoever of denying or trivialising the existence of the issue", he said, but added that authorities have over the years been "earnestly addressing" diplomatic issues with Korea.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
“There was absolutely no problem whatsoever, none whatsoever,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
The house-elf returned within minutes, followed by a tall young man Harry had no difficulty whatsoever in recognizing as Voldemort.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
