Definitions for whetherˈʰwɛð ər, ˈwɛð-
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
wheth•er*ˈʰwɛð ər, ˈwɛð-(conj.)
(used to introduce the first of two or more alternatives, and sometimes repeated before the second or later alternative, usu. with the correlative or):
It matters little whether we go or stay. Whether we go or whether we stay, the result is the same.
(used to introduce a single alternative, the other being implied or understood, or some clause or element not involving alternatives):
See whether she has come. I doubt whether we can do anything now.
Archaic. (used to introduce a question presenting alternatives, usu. with the correlative or).
(pron. Archaic.)which or whichever (of two)?
Idioms for whether:
whether or no, under whatever circumstances; regardless:
He threatens to go whether or no.
Category: Idiom
* Usage: See if.
Origin of whether:
bef. 900; ME; OE hwether, hwæther=hwe- (akin to hwāwho ) +-ther comp. suffix; c. OHG (h)wedar, ON hvatharr, Go hwathar
Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary
whether(conjunction)ˈʰwɛð ər, ˈwɛð-
indicates what the possibilities are
We couldn't decide whether to go or not.; It wasn't clear whether they understood.
whetherˈʰwɛð ər, ˈwɛð-
if
They wanted to know whether it snows here.
Wiktionary
whether(Pronoun)
Which of two.
whether(Conjunction)
.
He chose the correct answer, but whether by luck or by skill I don't know.
whether(Conjunction)
; if, whether or not.
Do you know whether he's coming?
Origin: hwæþer, from hwaþeraz, comparative form of hwaz. Cognate with German weder, Swedish hvar, Icelandic hvorr.
Webster Dictionary
Whether(u)
which (of two); which one (of two); -- used interrogatively and relatively
Whether(u)
in case; if; -- used to introduce the first or two or more alternative clauses, the other or others being connected by or, or by or whether. When the second of two alternatives is the simple negative of the first it is sometimes only indicated by the particle not or no after the correlative, and sometimes it is omitted entirely as being distinctly implied in the whether of the first
Translations for whether
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary
- ofAfrikaans
- إن، إذا، فيما إذاArabic
- далиBulgarian
- sePortuguese (BR)
- zdaCzech
- obGerman
- omDanish
- εάνGreek
- siSpanish
- kasEstonian
- ایاFarsi
- -ko, -köFinnish
- siFrench
- אִםHebrew
- अगरHindi
- je li, akoCroatian
- vajonHungarian
- apakahIndonesian
- hvortIcelandic
- seItalian
- ～かどうかJapanese
- …인지 어떤지Korean
- arLithuanian
- vaiLatvian
- sama adaMalay
- ofDutch
- om, hvorvidtNorwegian
- czyPolish
- sePortuguese
- dacăRomanian
- лиRussian
- čiSlovak
- čeSlovenian
- da liSerbian
- om, huruvidaSwedish
- หรือไม่Thai
- (eğer) ...-se; acaba (...-mı)Turkish
- 是否Chinese (Trad.)
- чиUkrainian
- خواہUrdu
- liệu cóVietnamese
- 是否Chinese (Simp.)
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Citation
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"whether." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2013. Web. 19 May 2013. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/whether>.