whatsoever
Americanpronoun
adjective
pronoun
Etymology
Origin of whatsoever
1200–50; Middle English, equivalent to what so whatever ( Old English swā hwæt swā ) + ever ever
Explanation
The word whatsoever is an old-fashioned way to emphasize a point. If you have no clue whatsoever who ate all the ice cream that was in the freezer, it means you truly have no idea at all who the culprit is. If you say that you have no doubt whatsoever that your cousin could be a model, you are placing emphasis on the fact that you're sure she's tall and thin enough to do the job. Whatsoever, originally quuat-so-euere, was first used in the thirteenth century, and while it's rare these days, it eventually led to the more modern and extremely popular word whatever.
Vocabulary lists containing whatsoever
Alex Trebek (1940–2020) Tribute List
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Sugar
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This Week In Words: November 30–December 6, 2019
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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.
There are no signatures and—except in the latest drawings—no text whatsoever: no labels, no inscriptions, no dimensions.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Sturgeon has denied any wrongdoing and said she had "no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Geoff Howarth, the owner of a business next to the Sheffield site, told the BBC that the new watchlist gave him "no more faith whatsoever" that greater action would be taken.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Providing a nonstop stream of eccentric social commentary, improbable memories and terrible jokes, Harry is an amiable codger who has no filter whatsoever.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
You’d be amazed how much research you can get done when you have no life whatsoever.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
