whether or not

Idioms

Also, whether or no. Regardless of whether, no matter if. For example, Whether or not it rains, we're going to walk to the theater, or She plans to sing at the wedding, whether or no anyone asks her to. The negative element in these constructions may also follow the subject and verb, as in I have to attend, whether I want to or not. [c. 1600]

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.

They also noted that definitively proving who made these trades, and whether or not they were inspired by insider knowledge, would be difficult.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

“So whether or not a risk premium is put into the market, I think, is a question that has yet to be answered,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

JD: At the time, in the Pitchfork world, there were questions of whether or not we were selling out.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Given Lena has more life experience than Kjetil these include potential power imbalances, whether or not to have children, and the implications of one partner needing elderly care before the other.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

He bit his lip, unable to decide whether or not to go.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023