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Glite Dictionary
in a way

in a way

734 3.2
To some extent from a certain point of view
  • 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.

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Examples

  • Maybe we can still keep that promise in a way.

    Enemy of the State (1998)

  • 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.

    The Substance (2024)

  • 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

sort of
vsin a way
  • Informal
∞ 2.1

To some degree but not completely

presents partial truth more neutrally and from a perspective
pretty much
vsin a way
  • Informal
∞ 3.0

Almost completely but not quite

marks only a limited partial truth rather than near completeness
rather
vsin a way
∞ 1.0

A little more than a bit but not very much

expresses a smaller conditional extent or simple perspective
partly
vsin a way
322 1.0

To some extent but not completely

frames that partial truth as a conditional viewpoint rather than fact
in so far
vsin a way
7 6.0

Only to the degree that something is true

states partial truth more generally or as a viewpoint

Antonyms

absolutely
∞ 1.0

Completely and without any doubt

How True

entirely
∞ 2.2
largely
551 2.4
in a way
734 3.2
in part
452 2.2
hardly
∞ 1.0
not at all
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

in a way positive

Morphology

in + a + way

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'.