Word.ws English Dictionary

whether

Syllables: wheth·er/ˈwɛðə(ɹ)/

whether conjunction: introduces a simple indirect question (without a correlative).

Conjunction

whether

  1. Introduces a simple indirect question (without a correlative).
    • Whether we'll be on time I'm unsure.
    • Do you know whether he's coming?
  2. Indicates doubt between possibilities (usually with correlative or).
    • He chose the correct answer, but whether by luck or by skill I don't know.
    • I can't decide whether to get divorced now or wait.
  3. Introduces a disjunctive adverbial clause qualifying the main clause (with correlative or).
    • He's coming, whether you like it or not.
    • I'll enjoy playing with my friends again, whether we win or lose.
  4. (obsolete) Introduces a direct question between alternatives (often with correlative or).
    • whether ys it easyer to saye to the sicke of the palsey, thy synnes ar forgeven the: or to saye, aryse, take uppe thy beed and walke?1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark ij:[9]
    • Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge, [...] Or the reputed sonne of Cordelion?c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...

Determiner

whether

  1. (obsolete) Which of two.
    • But to whether side fortune would have been partial could not be determined.a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London...
    • Whilst thus the case in doubtfull ballance hong,
      Vnsure to whether side it would incline,1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

Pronoun

whether

  1. (obsolete) Which of two.
    • The debite answered and sayde unto them: whether of the twayne will ye that I lett loosse unto you?1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew
    • Whether of them twain did the will of his father?1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 21:31

whether meaning in Hindi, Pashto, Tagalog and Arabic

whether in Hindi

introducing adverbial clause; no matter whether or not
चाहे cāhe

whether in Pashto

if, whether or not
چې که če ka
introducing indirect questions
که ka
introducing adverbial clause; no matter whether or not
که ka

whether in Tagalog

if, whether or not
man
introducing indirect questions
kung
introducing adverbial clause; no matter whether or not
man

whether in Arabic

if, whether or not
هَلْ hal
introducing indirect questions
إِذَا مَا ʔiḏā mā, إِذَا ʔiḏā, هَلْ hal
More languagesFewer languages
whether in Persian
آیا âyâ
whether in Vietnamese
dù ... hay, có ... không

Examples of whether in a sentence

  • Whether or not you're successful, you can be sure you did your best.
  • The incident immediately revived the debate about goal-line technology, with a final decision on whether it is introduced expected to be taken in Zurich on 5 July.2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1–0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport:
  • Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine.2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
  • The years have gone by and still we know not whether or no Mallory and Irvine reached the summit.1931 April, Francis Younghusband, “Preface”, in The Epic of Mount Everest, London: Edward Arnold & Co., →OCLC, →OL, page 5:
  • In the morning sowe thy seede, and in the euening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 11:6:

All 40 example sentences with whether

Origin of whether

From Middle English whether, whather, from Old English hweþer, hwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaþar, from Proto-Germanic *hwaþeraz, comparative form of *hwaz (“who”). Cognate with North Frisian weđer (“if, whether”), German weder (“neither”), Swedish var (“each, every”), Icelandic hvor (“each of two, which of two”).

Words formed from whether

Phrases with whether

Words that rhyme with whether

Questions about whether

What does whether mean?
Whether means introduces a simple indirect question (without a correlative).
What is whether in Hindi?
Whether in Hindi is चाहे (cāhe). See Whether meaning in Hindi.
How do you use whether in a sentence?
Whether or not you're successful, you can be sure you did your best.
What part of speech is whether?
Whether can be a conjunction, a determiner or a pronoun.
How do you pronounce whether?
Whether is pronounced /ˈwɛðə(ɹ)/.

Words near whether in the dictionary

  1. wherwith
  2. whet
  3. whet slate
  4. whet slates
  5. whet someone's appetite
  6. whether
  7. whethering
  8. whethersoever
  9. whetile
  10. whetiles
  11. whets

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: whether (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-whether.ogg.

Cite this entry: “whether.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/whether. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.