Do you know the definition of albeit? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word albeit, including its definition, usage, word origin, and more!
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Kevin
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July 9, 2021
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What does the word albeit mean?
According to Merriam-Webster and other sources like the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language and Collins English Dictionary, the word albeit is a conjunction that means even though or although. Albeit is three syllables – al-be-it, and the pronunciation of albeit is ɔːlˈbiːɪt. This word uses the third-person singular present subjunctive of the verb be. Albeit cannot be used to introduce an independent clause, unlike although, but it can be used to introduce an adjectival phrase, adverbial phrase, dependent clause, subordinate clauses or a concessive clause and can be used with an adverb. Albeit is usually preceded by a comma. This is considered fairly formal, and is not entirely natural sounding English.
There are many different languages that contain words meaning albeit. You may notice that some of these words look and sound similar to each other. This is likely due to the fact that they share a common origin. Usually, cognates, which are words that look, sound, and mean the same thing across languages, are formed when two words or languages share a common ancestor like Latin or Greek. This list of translations of albeit is provided by Word Sense.
- Bulgarian: макар (makár), макар и (makár i)
- French: bien que, quoique
- Turkish: her ne kadar, yine, gerçi, ise de
- Latin: etsi
- Cyrillic: иако, мада, премда, чак и ако
- German: wenn auch, wenngleich, obgleich, obschon
- Russian: хотя́
- Lithuanian: nors ir
- Danish: omend, selv om
- Hindi: किन्तु (kintu), परन्तु (parantu)
- Japanese: とはいえ (to-wa ie), であるが (dearu ga)
- Arabic: وَلَو
- Norwegian: selv om, om enn
- Swedish: även om, ehuru, om än, låt vara
- Czech: třebaže
- Catalan: encara que, tanmateix, però
- Roman: iako, mada, premda, čak i ako
- Gujarati: જોકે (jōkē), પરંતુ (parantu), તેમ છતાં (tēm chatāṁ)
- Dutch: alhoewel, hoewel, ofschoon
- Mandarin: 雖然, 虽然 (suīrán)
- Finnish: vaikka, vaikkakin, joskin
- Persian: اگرچه (agarche), هرچند (harchand)
- Portuguese: se bem que, mesmo que
- Slovene: četudi, čeprav
- Esperanto: kvankam
- Polish: chociaż
- Spanish: aunque, no obstante, si bien
- Romanian: totuși, dar
- Italian: benché
- Occitan: malgrat, tot ben que, encara que
How can the word albeit be used in a sentence?
The word albeit can be used in many different circumstances in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definitions. You can also try making flashcards or quizzes for yourself to text your understanding. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today! Below are several examples of albeit to get you started.
Earl was quite tech savvy and had an affinity for browsing the internet, albeit his excessive tendency to spend hours on the amazing computer frustrated the rest of his family. He loved using it to research the history of England, from King Harald to the men of the countryside and more.
She was prepared, albeit nervous for her interview with the Financial Times. She knew she had prepared enough for the interview, but years of being shot down and disrespected in her field had given her severe anxiety for any sort of publication.
He was a competent, albeit distant guardian for the twins. They had been independent practically since birth, always taken care of by a nanny. They never knew their mother, and their father was quite mysterious aside from the odd breakfast or birthday gift.
What is the origin of the word albeit?
According to Etymonline, the word albeit is a conjunction that has been used since the late c14 Middle English. This is a contraction of the phrase “al be it,” “all be it,” or “although it be that.” Chaucer also used a past tense form of this phrase, the Middle English al were it. Usage commentators observed this word having a resurgence or comeback in the middle of the 20th century. While they found it archaic, it never really went out of use, though it certainly became less popular until the 1930s.
What are synonyms and antonyms of albeit?
There are many different words in the English language that mean the same thing as the word albeit. These are called synonyms. Synonyms are a very useful device to know because they can help you avoid repeating the same word over and over again while also expanding your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word albeit is provided by Thesaurus.
- whereas
- granting
- despite
- admitting
- though
- granting all this
- despite the fact
- still
- in spite of
- while
- notwithstanding
- although
- supposing
- even supposing
- much as
- even though
- even if
- when
There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word albeit. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are useful words and phrases to know to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word albeit is also provided by Thesaurus.
- being
- over
- thanks to
- in view of
- in the interest of
- by reason of
- as long as
- owing to
- as a result of
- since
- in as much as
- in behalf of
- on account of
- for the reason that
- by cause of
- for the sake of
- as
- because
- whereas
- on the grounds that
- considering
- through
- by virtue of
- due to
- in that
- seeing
- for
- now that
- as things go
Overall, the word albeit means although or even though. This word has been used since the Middle English, and is a contraction of al be it. The word albeit is less used than a word like although, but can be used with an adjectival phrase, adverbial phrase, dependent clause, subordinate clauses or a concessive clause.
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