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View synonyms for

both

[ bohth ]

adjective

  1. one and the other; two together:

    He met both sisters. Both performances were canceled.



pronoun

  1. the one as well as the other:

    Both of us were going to the party.

conjunction

  1. alike; equally:

    He is both ready and willing.

both

/ əʊθ /

determiner

    1. the two; two considered together

      both dogs were dirty

    2. ( as pronoun )

      both are to blame

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conjunction

  1. coordinating used preceding words, phrases, or clauses joined by and , used to emphasize that not just one, but also the other of the joined elements is included

    both new and exciting

    both Ellen and Keith enjoyed the play

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of both1

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English bothe, bathe, Old English bā thā “both the, both those”; cognate with German, Dutch beide, Old High German ê; akin to Latin ō, Greek áō, Lithuanian ù, Sanskrit ܲá
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Word History and Origins

Origin of both1

C12: from Old Norse ٳ󾱰 ; related to Old High German ŧ , Latin ō , Greek ō
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Idioms and Phrases

  • best of both worlds
  • burn the candle at both ends
  • cut both ways
  • foot in both camps
  • have it both ways
  • play both ends against the middle
  • work both sides of the street
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

As Trump targets both friend and foe, some believe Xi can further upend the current US-led world order and portray his country as a stable, alternative global trade partner and leader.

From

Troops from both sides have traded intermittent small-arms fire across the border in recent days.

From

Some 18 months on, he says the reality is that people on both sides of the political aisle promptly disengaged with Indigenous issues after the referendum.

From

But it's not a choice it can or will make because it needs both.

From

The leader of the sovereigntist party, which only runs candidates in Quebec, did urge Carney to avoid pressing the province on certain issues, noting that collaboration goes both ways.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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