anyway

Nonstandard, an·y·ways

[en-ee-wey]

adverb

1. in any case; anyhow; nonetheless; regardless.

   Whether you like it or not, I'm going anyway.

2. (used to continue or resume the thread of a story or account).

   Anyway, we finally found a plumber who could come right over.

anyway

/ ˈɛnɪˌweɪ /

adverb

1. in any case; at any rate; nevertheless; anyhow

2. in a careless or haphazard manner

3. Usually any way . in any manner; by any means

Spelling Note

The adverb anyway is spelled as one word: It was snowing hard, but we drove to the play anyway. The two-word phrase any way means “in any manner”: Finish the job any way you choose. If the words “in the” can be substituted for “any,” the two-word phrase is called for: Finish the job in the way you choose. If the substitution cannot be made, the spelling is anyway.

Word History and Origins

Origin of anyway¹

First recorded in 1150–1200, anyway is from Middle English ani wei. See any, way ¹

Example Sentences

"I'm a huge fan of Dolly anyway so I've seen the work she's done," he said.

Read more on BBC

Spending the next 10 years lamenting Madigan’s potential snub would be nothing more than reductive, implying that her work is only worthy if it’s awarded by stuffy voters who maintain little respect for horror, anyway.

Read more on Salon

Under a nearly-60-year-old law, the White House and several other notable buildings are exempt from a key historic preservation rule - though one expert told the BBC that presidents typically follow it anyway.

Read more on BBC

Jordan, warned to stand down in 1967, attacked anyway and lost the territory.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I based my character on women I knew growing up—like the friend of a cousin with an attitude but everybody liked her anyway.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• anyhow 
• ever 
• once