both

American  

[bohth] / boʊθ /

adjective

1. one and the other; two together.

   He met both sisters. Both performances were canceled.

---

pronoun

1. the one as well as the other.

   Both of us were going to the party.

conjunction

1. alike; equally.

   He is both ready and willing.

both British  

/ bəʊθ /

determiner

1. 1. the two; two considered together

      both dogs were dirty

   2. ( as pronoun )

      both are to blame

---

conjunction

1. (coordinating) used preceding words, phrases, or clauses joined by and , used to emphasize that not just one, but also the other of the joined elements is included

   both Ellen and Keith enjoyed the play

   both new and exciting

both Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing both

• best of both worlds
• burn the candle at both ends
• cut both ways
• foot in both camps
• have it both ways
• play both ends against the middle
• work both sides of the street

---

Etymology

Origin of both

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English bothe, bathe, Old English bā thā “both the, both those”; cognate with German, Dutch beide, Old High German bêde; akin to Latin ambō, Greek ámphō, Lithuanian abù, Sanskrit ubháu

Example Sentences

So, with the benefit of that experience both in life and in curling, what would Mouat tell his younger self if he had the chance?

From BBC

The prosecutor's office said both Musk and former X chief executive officer Linda Yaccarino had been summoned to appear at hearings in April as part of its probe.

From BBC

As the artificial-intelligence boom drives up chip prices, both stocks have room to rise 45%-50% in 2026, they said in a note.

From MarketWatch

The stakes are incredibly high for both companies.

From MarketWatch

The stakes are incredibly high for both companies.

From MarketWatch