nonetheless

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs/^[1]

Etymology

It is from the phrase none the less (see none, the, less),^[2][3][4] contracted into one word by about 1930.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not the less on that account: Merriam-Webster dates the phrase to 1533,^[3] Etymonline to 1839;^[2] the OED's first quotation for the single word is from 1847.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Etymonline dates the closed spelling nonetheless to about 1930,^[2] while the SOED dates the word to the mid-19th century and notes the alternative none the less.^[4]

Timeline

• 1533 – none the less.^[3]
• 1847 – in the OED.^[5]
• c. 1930 – one word.^[2]

Modern meaning

Adverb

1. In spite of that; nevertheless; however.

Related words

• nevertheless
• none
• less
• notwithstanding

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press