whether

Meanings

• Subordinating conjunction

  Used to introduce a question asking for a choice between two alternatives

  - "Whether to study at home or in the library?"
  - "She asked whether he would come to the party or not."

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Pronunciation

1. /ˈwɛðə(ɹ)/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1227488"

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with whether
ether , weather , neather

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Variants

List of all variants of whether that leads to same result
whether , whether or no , whether or not , not know whether to laugh or cry , whet her appetite , whet her appetites , whet his appetite , whet his appetites , whet my appetite , whet my appetites , whet one's appetite , whet one's appetites , whet our appetite , whet our appetites , whet their appetite , whet their appetites , whet your appetite , whet your appetites

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

Old English 'hwæther', from 'hwæt' meaning 'what' and 'ther' meaning 'there'. It was used to introduce a question asking for a choice between two alternatives.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The word 'whether' is related to the word 'what'. 'What' comes from Old English 'hwæt'.

2. The longest word in English that can be spelled using only the letters in the word 'whether' is 'thermometer'.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. Conditional question: A type of question that asks for a hypothetical answer based on a given condition.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. In his later years, Turing turned to the question of "whether" machines could be made to think the central question of artificial intelligence.

   - Chuck Leddy,{it}Boston Globe{/it},15 Jan. 2006

2. That supposes I would have the wisdom to decide what is in fact right and what is wrong, and the humility to consider "whether" any action I could take would make things better or worse.

   - P. D. James,{it}The Private Patient{/it},2008

3. If you tell me that something is a pleasure, I do not know "whether" it is more like revenge, or buttered toast, or success, or adoration, or relief from danger, or a good scratch.

   - C. S. Lewis,{it}An Experiment in Criticism{/it},1961

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, 'whether' is commonly used to introduce a conditional question. For example, in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the character Polonius asks, 'Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them?'

How to Memorize "whether"

1. mnemonics
   

   - Remember that 'whether' starts with 'w' and has an 'e' in it. Think of a 'weigh' scale with two pans, one labeled 'yes' and the other labeled 'no'. Which pan do you put the item in to answer the question?

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Memorize "whether" using Dictozo

The best and recommended way to memorize whether is, by using Dictozo. Just save the word in Dictozo extension and let the app handle the rest. It enhances the memorization process in two ways:

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