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anyway

Etymology and origin of the English word anyway

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
13th century
Ultimate origin
English (any,way)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈen.i.weɪ/[1]

Etymology

It is a compound, from English any + way.[2][3][4] The form anyways has the adverbial genitive -s.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

“In any way or manner”: the 13th century in Merriam-Webster,[3] Middle English in the SOED,[4] while Etymonline dates it, written separately, to the 1560s;[2] the OED's first example is from 1570.[5]

Semantic evolution

The phrase was long written separately; the one-word form is common from the 1830s.[2][4] Middle English also said ani-gates “in any way, somehow” (about 1400) and on anikinnes wise (about 1200), and late Old English on ǣnige wīsan.[2] “In any way however imperfect” is from 1660.[5] As an adverbial conjunction, “however the case may be, in any case”, it is from 1859.[2][5] It is now much used to resume or change the subject of a conversation.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – on anikinnes wise.[2]
  • 1570 – in any manner.[5]
  • 1830s – written as one word.[2]
  • 1859 – in any case.[2][5]

Modern meaning

Adverb

  1. In any case; nevertheless: it was raining, but we went anyway.
  2. Used to return to or change the subject of a conversation.
  3. At any rate; at least.
  4. (archaic) In any way or manner.
  • anyhow
  • anyways
  • any
  • way

Usage notes

Anyways is informal or dialect.[4][6] The two-word phrase any way still means “in any manner”: help in any way you can.[6][2]

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Cite this entry

“Anyway.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/anyway. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·