both

[ bohth ]

/ boʊθ /

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See synonyms for: both / bother on Thesaurus.com

adjective

one and the other; two together: He met both sisters. Both performances were canceled.

pronoun

the one as well as the other: Both of us were going to the party.

conjunction

alike; equally: He is both ready and willing.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of both

1125–75; Middle English bothe, bathe, influenced by Scandinavian (compare Old Norse bāthir both; cognate with German, Dutch beide,Gothic ba tho skipa both (the) ships, Old High German bêde<*bai thai); replacing Middle English bo, ba,Old English bā; cognate with Gothic bai; akin to Latin ambō,Greek ámphō,Lithuanian abù,Sanskrit ubháu

Words nearby both

botched, botchy, bote, botel, botfly, both, Botha, Botham, Bothe, bother, botheration

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use both in a sentence

France 24 is providing live, round-the-clock coverage of both scenes as they progress.
LIVE Coverage of the Paris Terror Attacks||January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That officer fretting about his “stance,” we learn, is plagued by PTSD that cripples him both on the job and at home.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Smith attended both funerals as a cop and as the husband of Police Officer Moira Smith, who died on 9/11.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Bush busy engaging constituents on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate ahead of the 2004 presidential election.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The use of slurs from both characters makes it clear just how “new” the idea of an openly gay son is even in this time.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There was a rumor that Alessandro and his father had both died; but no one knew anything certainly.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
You need but will, and it is done; but if you relax your efforts, you will be ruined; for ruin and recovery are both from within.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
We prefer the American volume of Hochelaga to the Canadian one, although both are highly interesting.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
The bride elect rushes up to him, and so they both step down to the foot-lights.
Physiology of The Opera|John H. Swaby (AKA "Scrici")
If you throw away this chance, you will both richly deserve to be hanged, as I sincerely trust you will be.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for both

both

/ (bəʊθ) /

determiner

the two; two considered togetherboth dogs were dirty
(as pronoun)both are to blame

conjunction

(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 includedboth Ellen and Keith enjoyed the play; both new and exciting

Word Origin for both

C12: from Old Norse bāthir; related to Old High German bēde, Latin ambō, Greek amphō

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with both

both

In addition to the idioms beginning with both

both barrels, with
both feet on the ground, with

also see:

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

both

Origin of both

Words nearby both

Words related to both

How to use both in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for both

Word Origin for both

Other Idioms and Phrases with both