both

[ bohth ]
See synonyms for: bothbother on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of both

1
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

Words Nearby both

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use both in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for both

both

/ (bəʊθ) /


determiner
    • the two; two considered together: both dogs were dirty

    • (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

Origin of both

1
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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.