- plural of A.
as
1 Americanadverb
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to the same degree, amount, or extent; similarly; equally.
I don't think it's as hot and humid today as it was yesterday.
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for example; for instance.
Some flowers, as the rose, require special care.
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thought to be or considered to be.
the square as distinct from the rectangle; the church as separate from the state.
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in the manner (directed, agreed, promised, etc.).
She sang as promised. He left as agreed.
conjunction
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(used correlatively after an adjective or adverb preceded by an adverbial phrase, the adverbial as, or another adverb) to such a degree or extent that.
It came out the same way as it did before. You are as good as you think you are.
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(without antecedent) in the degree, manner, etc., of or that.
She's good as gold. Do as we do.
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at the same time that; while; when.
as you look away.
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since; because.
As you are leaving last, please turn out the lights.
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though.
Questionable as it may be, we will proceed.
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with the result or purpose.
He said it in a voice so loud as to make everyone stare.
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Informal. (in dependent clauses) that.
I don't know as I do.
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Midland and Southern U.S. and British Dialect. than.
pronoun
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(used relatively) that; who; which (usually preceded by such orthe same ).
I have the same trouble as you had.
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a fact that.
She did her job well, as can be proved by the records.
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New England, Midland, and Southern U.S. who; whom; which; that.
Them as has gets.
preposition
idioms
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as such,
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as being what is indicated; in that capacity.
An officer of the law, as such, is entitled to respect.
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in itself or in themselves.
The position, as such, does not appeal to him, but the salary is a lure.
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as well as. well.
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as if / though, as it would be if.
It was as if the world had come to an end.
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as it were, in a way; so to speak.
He became, as it were, a man without a country.
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as is, in whatever condition something happens to be, especially referring to something offered for sale in a flawed, damaged, or used condition.
We bought the table as is.
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as well. well.
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as far as, to the degree or extent that.
It is an excellent piece of work, as far as I can tell.
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as yet, up to the present time; until now.
As yet, no one has thought of a solution.
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as … as, (used to express similarity or equality in a specified characteristic, condition, etc., as between one person or thing and another).
as rich as Croesus.
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as good as,
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equivalent to; in effect; practically.
as good as new.
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true to; trustworthy as.
as good as his word.
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as for / to, with respect to; in reference to.
As for staying away, I wouldn't think of it.
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as of, beginning on; on and after; from.
This price is effective as of June 23.
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as long as. long.
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as how, that; if; whether.
He allowed as how it was none of my business. I don't know as how I ought to interfere.
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as regards, with regard or reference to; concerning.
As regards the expense involved, it is of no concern to him.
noun
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asses
plural
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a copper coin and early monetary unit of ancient Rome, originally having a nominal weight of a pound of 12 ounces: discontinued c80 b.c.
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a unit of weight equal to 12 ounces.
abbreviation
conjunction
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(often preceded by just) while; when; at the time that
he caught me as I was leaving
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in the way that
dancing as only she can
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that which; what
I did as I was told
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(of) which fact, event, etc (referring to the previous statement)
to become wise, as we all know, is not easy
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in a way; so to speak; as if it were really so
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a military command to withdraw an order, return to the previous position, etc
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a statement to withdraw something just said
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since; seeing that
as you're in charge here, you'd better tell me where to wait
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in the same way that
he died of cancer, as his father had done
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in spite of the extent to which
intelligent as you are, I suspect you will fail
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for instance
capital cities, as London
adverb
preposition
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in the role of; being
as his friend, I am probably biased
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with reference to
as for my past, I'm not telling you anything
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formal (in expressions of time) from
fares on all routes will rise as from January 11
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as it would be if
he talked as if he knew all about it
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in the existing state of affairs
as it is, I shall have difficulty finishing all this work, without any more
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See per
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See regard
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See such
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See such
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in a previous state
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See well 1
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up to now; so far
I have received no compensation as yet
abbreviation
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Also: A.S.. Anglo-Saxon
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antisubmarine
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Australian Standards
symbol
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chem arsenic
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altostratus
noun
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an ancient Roman unit of weight approximately equal to 1 pound troy (373 grams)
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the standard monetary unit and copper coin of ancient Rome
abbreviation
Usage
As a conjunction, one sense of as is “because”: As she was bored, Sue left the room. As also has an equally common use in the sense “while, when”: As the parade passed by, the crowd cheered and applauded. These two senses sometimes result in ambiguity: As the gates were closed, he walked away. (When? Because?) As … as is standard in both positive and negative constructions: The fleet was as widely scattered then as it had been at the start of the conflict. Foreign service is not as attractive as it once was. So … as is sometimes used in negative constructions (… not so attractive as it once was ) and in questions ( “What is so rare as a day in June?” ). The phrase as far as generally introduces a clause: As far as money is concerned, the council has exhausted all its resources. In some informal speech and writing, as far as is treated as a preposition and followed only by an object: As far as money, the council has exhausted all its resources. As to as a compound preposition has long been standard though occasionally criticized as a vague substitute for about, of, on, or concerning: We were undecided as to our destination. As to sometimes occurs at the beginning of a sentence, where it introduces an element that would otherwise have less emphasis: As to his salary, that too will be reviewed. As to what and as to whether are sometimes considered redundant but have long been standard: an argument as to what department was responsible. See also all, farther, like 1, so 1.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of as1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English as, als, alse, also, Old English alswā, ealswā “all so, quite so, quite as, as”; cognate with Middle Dutch alse ( Dutch als ), Old High German alsō ( Middle High German álsō, álse, als, German also “so,” als “as, as if, because”); cf. also
Origin of as2
First recorded 1540–50; from Latin as (also assis ); further origin unknown
Explanation
As is an adverb that's usually used to compare one thing to another. You could say, for example, that your cat is as smart as your sister. When you're noting similarities between two things or people, especially when you talk about degree or amount, you'll find yourself using the common adverb as. You might complain that it's as hot as heck, or express disappointment that your homemade casserole doesn't taste as good as when your mom makes it. As comes from the Old English alswā, "similarly."
Vocabulary lists containing as
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.
See Examples For:
The accents there are as apt to hail from the South Shore of Long Island as from South Carolina.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
The teenager's mother was shocked to find him smelling "terrible" as if he had not washed for days.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Asked as a follow-up if she had any thoughts at all on DACA, Graham said, “Not right now.”
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
In terms of incomings, Bournemouth are largely done as they close in on a move for Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Jesuits are widely known for their focus on social justice and human rights, as well as a devotion to theology, missionary work, and education.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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As Adam Morgan, a Norman supporter and former state representative, told Slate, “Lindsey had a cap on his popularity, and I think that’s reflected in the polls.”
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
As for the coming midterms, Ford said: "If I were allowed to, I'd be down there door-knocking".
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
As the couple looks for a home in San Diego, Jones appealed to fans to share what they love about their neighborhoods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
As of Friday, his position has fallen 69% to roughly $9,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
As Maggie finished the last of the bread, Auntie returned.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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He has held ownership stakes in Italy’s AS Roma and Welsh club Swansea City and has served MLS as co-chair of the league’s sporting and competition committee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
For the past three seasons, he has played his club soccer for AS Monaco, where he has 24 goals in 72 appearances—and made himself an automatic selection for the national team.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The family flat overlooked the AS Bondy football pitches, where his father Wilfried was a player turned coach.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
“We call ourselves the United Bid because we are truly approaching this challenge together—UNITED, AS ONE,” the proposal said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
AS YOU MAY KNOW, “ALMA MATER” is a Latin phrase that means “nourishing mother.”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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There's a lot of emphasis on treatment as- as well as simply law enforcement.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 20, 2023
The business manages spend as best it can by tightening up rounds, so travel time and distance are minimised, as well as- trying new methods of transport.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2022
On that as- sumption the U. S. Senate last summer began looking into air and ocean mail contracts.
From Time Magazine Archive
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The company's quick as- sets have increased this year by some $800.000. its surplus by some $2.500.000.
From Time Magazine Archive
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And the smaller oak and maple trees, which from Dr. Hyde’s classroom had been invisible beneath the more majestic pines, showed hints of an as- yet-thermally-unforeseeable fall: Their still-green leaves were beginning to droop.
From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
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He also cites in illustration AS. stoc-weard, ‘oppidanus,’ see Leo, p. 206.
From A Concise Dictionary of Middle English From A.D. 1150 to 1580 by A. L. (Anthony Lawson) Mayhew
AS. cépan, to keep, should be kept quite distinct from AS. cýpan, to sell.
From A Concise Dictionary of Middle English From A.D. 1150 to 1580 by A. L. (Anthony Lawson) Mayhew
AS. bracce fern, LG. brake willow bush, Da. bregne fern, G. brach fallow; prob. orig. the growth on rough, broken ground, fr. the root of E. break.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster
AS. be g, be h, bracelet, collar, crown, OS ÿb?g- in comp.,
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster
G. empor upwards, OHG. bor height, burren to lift, perh. allied to AS. beran, E. 1st bear.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster
The victims, identified in the indictment only by their initials, M.S. and A.S., were told someone else had already submitted an application for their property, according to the indictment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
Soon after the initial share purchase, four payments left her bank account in the space of a week and were paid to a "Mr A.S."
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2024
The paintings completely covering the walls of the main and private dining rooms are modeled after the life of Czar Saltan, who reigned in 1200 A.D., as told by A.S.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
Mr. Totti — one of the most celebrated players of his generation and the most beloved player in A.S.
From New York Times ● Nov. 7, 2022
The following stem may be taken to be from A.S. hyge; O.H.G. hugu, mind, thought; A.S. hogian, to study, meditate.
From Surnames as a Science by Robert Ferguson
It said the DPS would asses whether those under investigation should be placed on restricted duties, with a decision expected "before the end of next week".
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
What he actually wrote was “dogs bark it, asses and mules bray it, and bilious bipeds whistle it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
“We didn’t come cross-country to get our asses kicked. We came here to play our best baseball game, and our guys will be ready to go.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
He acknowledged that it’s been difficult to asses his own situation and future while trying to keep his young team in playoff contention.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
And them girls on the beach, man, they’re all standin’ up now too, realizing our dumb asses are in mad distress.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
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Definitions 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.