Meaning & use
nevertheless
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Meaning
adverb
Despite what was just said; however.
Grammar: Connects clauses; often starts a sentence or follows a semicolon, with a comma after it.
Patterns
- nevertheless, ...
- ...; nevertheless, ...
- but nevertheless
The team lost the first game; nevertheless, they won the tournament.
It was raining heavily; nevertheless, we decided to walk.
She was tired; nevertheless, she finished her homework.
Common combinations
- nevertheless, ...
- The traffic was terrible; nevertheless, we arrived on time.
- but nevertheless
- It's expensive but nevertheless worth buying.
- nevertheless important
- The issue is small but nevertheless important.
Synonyms and how they differ
- however
- More common in everyday writing; nevertheless is more formal and often used in academic or official contexts.
- nonetheless
- Very similar in meaning and formality; nonetheless is slightly more formal and less common.
- still
- Can mean 'even so' but is more informal and can have other meanings; nevertheless is more precise for contrast.
Word family
Commonly confused: nevertheless or nonetheless?
nevertheless vs nonetheless
Means the same and is often used interchangeably, but nonetheless is slightly more formal and less common in speech.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'nevertheless' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A semicolon before and a comma after 'nevertheless' correctly separates the two clauses. Option A uses a comma splice, option B lacks punctuation, and option D misplaces the comma.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nevertheless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.