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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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.
Candidates with "no knowledge whatsoever of the workflows" are "a lot less appealing for an organization like ours."
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
He was told Canvas, the software used to administer the module, was down - something he found "a bit dodgy" because he uses the same platform at university "with no problems whatsoever".
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“There was no basis whatsoever for the prosecutor to somehow object and say no to it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
“Jameson never bared his teeth, growled at either officer, or otherwise displayed any attempt whatsoever to attack,” the lawsuit stated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
Then, with no transition whatsoever, I found myself back in the bowling alley game room, standing in front of the Black Tiger game.
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.
