Meaning & use

however

adverb·Academic

Used to introduce a statement that contrasts with or qualifies what was said before.

See it in a sentence

The plan sounded simple; however, it proved difficult to carry out.

However hard he tried, he could not solve the puzzle.

A note on using this word

When "however" links two independent clauses, use a semicolon before it and a comma after, as in "It rained; however, we stayed."

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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