nonetheless
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of nonetheless
First recorded in 1840–50; from the phrase none the less
Compare meaning
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Explanation
This is a word that people don't usually stop and define. They use it to link two seemingly contradictory thoughts. Nonetheless, it does have a definition. It means "in spite of." Break this word up to examine its meaning: None-the-less means that the statement you've just made does not diminish or make less what comes next. We are not at all prepared to climb this mountain, nonetheless we are going to try.
Vocabulary lists containing nonetheless
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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"A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long," Vocabulary from the poem
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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.
It will nonetheless mean some belt-tightening at an institution that previously kept on receiving increases through some tough years for public spending.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Everyone on stage mesmerizes, yet Christopher Nell as The Boy, a barrel of laughs and an acrobat, nonetheless steals the show.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
The European Union's election observer mission nonetheless gave the election a clean bill of health.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
His presidency, while short and largely unrealized, nonetheless seeded much of the transformative legislation and social programs that defined the 1960s and the rest of the American century — and continue to be felt today.
From Salon • May 7, 2026
The court frequently complained about being forced to order new trials or grant relief, but nonetheless ruled in our favor.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
