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

But that doesn’t clear up the doctrine whatsoever.

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026

"I don't think it's an issue whatsoever," said Curacao native Boudino de Jong, the co-founder of Profound, who are the FFK's digital partners.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

Reform councillor Mike Bannister confirmed there was "no indication whatsoever" that staff had promoted specific literature and promised that the new policy would be "fully discussed" with the libraries team.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

Abdulmohsen showed "no remorse, regret or introspection whatsoever", Boettchner told the court.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

For reasons that made no sense whatsoever, a sizable pool had been constructed in the center of the arena, made by laying a great sheet of plastic over a square foundation of hay bales.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris