both

American  

[bohth] / boʊθ /

adjective

1. one and the other; two together.

   He met both sisters. Both performances were canceled.

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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

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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

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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

“I think we’ve made a lot of improvements since that game. Obviously, they have too, and it’s going to be a completely different game from both sides.”

From Los Angeles Times

He also offered his condolences to the airline's staff and family of the victims in English, with subtitles in both official languages.

From BBC

“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally,” Woods wrote on X.

From The Wall Street Journal

Smaller deals valued at between $1 billion and $5 billion in the U.S. have been among the hardest hit, with activity measured by deal count and total value both lower than the year-ago period.

From The Wall Street Journal

How were you able to film both the “Scrubs” reboot and Season 2 of “High Potential”? ABC was willing to make it work.

From Los Angeles Times