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Glite Dictionary
🔀 In any way ⚖️ No matter how
howsoever

howsoever

9.2
No matter how difficult something is
  • adverb
  • /haʊˈsoʊˌɛvər/
  • Literature
translation icon : sin importar cómo
  • You must complete the project, howsoever difficult it may seem.

Examples

  • Howsoever you look at the problem, the solution remains the same.

  • She will support you, howsoever long it takes.

  • Howsoever difficult the journey was, he never gave up hope.

  • She was determined to finish the project, howsoever long it might take.

  • He was determined to succeed, howsoever difficult the path might be.

  • The project will be completed, howsoever long it takes.

  • "You can find happiness, howsoever challenging life may become," she reassured him.

Synonyms

however
vshowsoever
  • Formal
∞ 2.6

Shows a contrast with what was said before

is more formal or literary in tone
still
vshowsoever
∞ 1.0

Shows that something is true despite what was said before

is more formal or literary than this simple usage
on the other hand
vshowsoever
357 2.8

Shows a different idea from what you said before

focuses on limiting or countering the previous point directly
even so
vshowsoever
149 3.5

Shows that something happens or is true despite what was said

is more formal or literary and less emphatic
howbeit
vshowsoever
  • Archaic
9.9

Adds a fact that is different from what came before

is similar but suits broader modern formal usage

Surface Forms

howsoever positive

Morphology

howsoever = how (opaque) = how + soever

In this contrastive literary use, the meaning is largely conventionalized and cannot be straightforwardly recovered from the parts alone.

Etymology

The word howsoever comes from joining how, so, and ever, and it has been used in formal or old writing to mean 'however' or 'no matter how'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of it like however or whatever, used to show a contrast or limit in a sentence.