both

[bohth]

adjective

1. one and the other; two together.

   He met both sisters. Both performances were canceled.

pronoun

1. the one as well as the other.

   Both of us were going to the party.

conjunction

1. alike; equally.

   He is both ready and willing.

both

/ bəʊθ /

determiner

1. 1. the two; two considered together

      both dogs were dirty

   2. ( as pronoun )

      both are to blame

conjunction

1. (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 included

   both Ellen and Keith enjoyed the play

   both new and exciting

Word History and Origins

Origin of both¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English bothe, bathe, Old English bā thā “both the, both those”; cognate with German, Dutch beide, Old High German bêde; akin to Latin ambō, Greek ámphō, Lithuanian abù, Sanskrit ubháu

Word History and Origins

Origin of both¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

• 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

Example Sentences

We appointed Tom Hardy—both a man’s man and a female’s man—as a brand ambassador.

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Defending both men who feature in the recording, Putin described Witkoff as “an intelligent person.”

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But both things can be true at the same time.

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The two accused, who deny the allegations, are being investigated both by the attorney general's office and the ministry of defense.

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McLaren team chief Andrea Stella explained that the disqualification of both cars, for excessive wear of the skid blocks, was a result of an unexpected level of "porpoising... exacerbated by the conditions" in Nevada.

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