whatsoever

American  

[hwuht-soh-ev-er, hwot-, wuht-, wot-] / ˌʰwʌt soʊˈɛv ər, ˌʰwɒt-, ˌwʌt-, ˌwɒt- /

pronoun

1. (an intensive form ofwhatever ).

   whatsoever it be; in any place whatsoever.

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whatsoever British  

/ ˌwɒtsəʊˈɛvə /

adjective

1. (postpositive) at all: used as an intensifier with indefinite pronouns and determiners such as none, any, no one, anybody , etc

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pronoun

1. an archaic word for whatever

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.

Example Sentences

"With profound sorrow, we must assume political responsibility for this tactical error, which has no justification whatsoever," the statement read.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Last week in the House of Commons, the prime minister said "no pressure existed whatsoever" on the case.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

“There was absolutely no problem whatsoever, none whatsoever,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

“Preventing activity lest it give rise to tax evasion places no limit whatsoever on Congress’s power under the taxation clause,” Judge Edith Jones writes for the unanimous panel in McNutt v.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Penelope was trying her best to erect a shelter for herself and the children; at the moment she was puzzling over which side of the tarpaulin was the top, and making no progress whatsoever.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood