throughout
Americanpreposition
-
in or to every part of; everywhere in.
They searched throughout the house.
-
from the beginning to the end of.
He was bored throughout the play.
adverb
-
in every part.
rotten throughout.
-
at every moment or point.
following the text closely throughout.
preposition
adverb
Etymology
Origin of throughout
First recorded before 1000; Middle English throw out, Old English thurh ūt “through and out the other side (of )”; see through, out
Explanation
Use the adverb throughout for things that keep going from beginning to end. If you mention your perfect grades several times throughout a conversation, your interviewer will know you're smart, but might also think you're kind of obnoxious. Throughout means "from start to finish," although it doesn't have to mean constantly from start to finish. Your brother might complain that you had to stop and pee throughout the entire road trip, but he doesn't mean you were literally doing it the whole time, just like every two hours. In academic writing, throughout, or sometimes passim ("throughout" in Latin) is a way of saying that an idea shows up all over a book, not just on a certain page.
Vocabulary lists containing throughout
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"A Short History of the UDHR" and "Background on the UDHR"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Louder than Hunger
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Looking back, Claire now realises that Sykes, who also died in the fire, had been manipulative and controlling throughout their relationship.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Once the leader of and undisputed standard-bearer for the TV-to-digital shift, the streaming pioneer has had to publicly contend with various moments of weakness throughout this year.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
The situation that we wanted to sustain throughout the season was she’s not doing these things because she got shot, her stomach hurts and she’s mad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Their partnership persisted throughout the legal challenges Holmes faced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
If the Louvre was full of objects bought or stolen from throughout Europe, the Trocadéro was full of objects bought or stolen from everywhere else.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
