anyway
Americanadverb
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in any case; anyhow; nonetheless; regardless.
Whether you like it or not, I'm going anyway.
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(used to continue or resume the thread of a story or account).
Anyway, we finally found a plumber who could come right over.
adverb
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in any case; at any rate; nevertheless; anyhow
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in a careless or haphazard manner
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Usually any way . in any manner; by any means
Spelling
The adverb anyway is spelled as one word: It was snowing hard, but we drove to the play anyway. The two-word phrase any way means “in any manner”: Finish the job any way you choose. If the words “in the” can be substituted for “any,” the two-word phrase is called for: Finish the job in the way you choose. If the substitution cannot be made, the spelling is anyway.
Etymology
Origin of anyway
First recorded in 1150–1200, anyway is from Middle English ani wei. See any, way 1
Compare meaning
How does anyway compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use the adverb anyway to mean "at any rate" or "however." If you don't make the chess team at school, you might say, "I don't really have time for chess anyway." There are different ways to use anyway, but it most commonly confirms an idea or a viewpoint: "Most people already have their dogs on leashes, but it's good to have the leash law anyway." You can also use it to emphasize your sincere desire to get an answer: "Why are you here anyway?" or to talk about something happening despite efforts against it: "I told her to go home but she stayed anyway."
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.
But Kryptonite radiation got to Kara’s parents anyway; they sent her to Earth as a teenager, it had a terrible impact — blah, blah, you get the picture.
From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026
This game was a memorial dedicated to Krug, the patch a reminder that being a Feeney has never really been about sport anyway.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
What to know: It’s debatable whether “Legally Blonde” needs a prequel series, but one is coming anyway, starring Lexi Minetree in the title role made famous by Reese Witherspoon, one of the show’s executive producers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
We’re planning to move in five years anyway.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
Only when he got there did he remember that cloudberries grow on moors and marshes, not in birchwoods, and that it was too late in the year for them anyway.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
