so to speak

Idioms  

1. Phrased like this, in a manner of speaking, as in He was, so to speak, the head of the family, although he was only related by marriage to most of the family members. This term originally meant “in the vernacular” or “lower-class language” and was used as an aristocrat's apology for stooping to such use. [Early 1800s] Also see as it were.

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Example Sentences

"Before, it was unimaginable. Now, we've invented a new field, so to speak."

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

What’s Next: The company will offer teenagers an incentive to do their investing homework, so to speak.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

That’s where the drill meets the coalface, so to speak.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Yet in choosing to end at the beginning, so to speak, and focus on the early Cold War, Mr. Grace avoids having to assess how the new arrangement subsequently performed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

A bit of comic relief, so to speak.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers