Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [az if]
- /æz ɪf/
- /əz ɪf/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [az if]
- /æz ɪf/
Definitions of as if words
- phrase as if You use as if and as though when you are giving a possible explanation for something or saying that something appears to be the case when it is not. 3
- noun as if as it would be if 3
- noun as if as it would be if; as though 3
- noun as if as it (or one) would if 3
- noun as if that 3
- noun as if as the situation would be if; as though 3
Information block about the term
Origin of as if
First appearance:
before 1000 One of the 6% oldest English words
before 1000; Middle English as, als, alse, also, Old English alswā, ealswā all so (see also), quite so, quite as, as; cognate with Middle Dutch alse (Dutch als), Old High German alsō (Middle High German álsō, álse, als, German also so, als as, as if, because)
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for As if
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
as if popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
as if usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for as if
conj as if
- as it were — You say as it were in order to make what you are saying sound less definite.
- just as — at the moment when
- so to speak — to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk: He was too ill to speak.
adv as if
- apparently — You use apparently to indicate that the information you are giving is something that you have heard, but you are not certain that it is true.
- presumably — by assuming reasonably; probably: Since he is a consistent winner, he is presumably a superior player.
- supposedly — assumed as true, regardless of fact; hypothetical: a supposed case.