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.
"It was extremely scary for her. They had to cut all her clothes away from her and she had to stay on a wooden board for 24 hours, and not be moved whatsoever," Williams said.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Later, Collins said his son-in-law “has had no role in my campaign whatsoever, and I don’t believe or support those views.”
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
“As reflected in the settlement agreement between the parties, there has been no admission of any fact or liability whatsoever relating to the incident involving the plaintiffs,” county spokesperson Valerie Fuller told AP.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Now working part-time, Ken says he has "no regrets whatsoever" about his decision to sell his house and move onto the water.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Penelope had taken three semesters of art appreciation at the Swanburne Academy, so she had no doubt whatsoever.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
