in a way
634
3.2
- idiom
:
en cierto modo
- And you know, in a way, they still exist in you.
- in a way that allows
- in a way that enables
- in a way that changes
And that's freeing in a way that nothing else is.
- And that's freeing in a way that nothing else is.
- And so we've restructured in a way that feels good.
- Maybe we can see that in a way that is scalable.
- He was not explaining it in a way that I grasped it.
- And the BATF just raided the group in a way that shocked me.
- She inspires people in a way that Trump does.
- It doesn't do so in a way that is religious.
- So the assumption is that being cool in a way means power, right?
- It's just not being used in a way that we might prefer.
- Now, when you think about it, this is in a way kind of stupid.
Examples
-
Maybe we can still keep that promise in a way.
-
It spoke to me in a way that I understood.
-
I felt it was, in a way, a step back.
-
So always try to dress in a way that has you taken seriously.
-
But I feel like in a way I can handle it.
-
So, in a way, I grew up with her.
-
So far, we had ruled out many things which, in a way, was the point.
Fiction book (1990) -
I'll stay with that material, in a way, for one more poem.
-
Indeed, aggressors are usually clever at putting their demands in a way that seems reasonable.
Academic text (1990) -
I felt it was, in a way, a step back.
Synonyms
∞
2.1
To some degree but not completely
∞
1.0
A little more than a bit but not very much
∞
3.0
Almost completely but not quite
375
1.0
To some extent but not completely
2
6.0
Only to the degree that something is true
Antonyms
How True
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to some extent; from a certain perspective' is directly derivable from 'in' (indicating relation or position), 'a' (indefinite article), and 'way' (manner) — essentially 'in a manner' or 'in a certain way'. This compositional prepositional phrase pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard semantics, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
In a way may come from the idea of looking at something from one way or direction; what you see from that side is only part of the truth. That's why it means 'to some extent' or 'from a certain perspective'.