as it were

A a

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [az it wur]
- /æz ɪt wɜr/
- /əz ɪt wɜːr/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [az it wur]
- /æz ɪt wɜr/

Definitions of as it were words

phrase as it were You say as it were in order to make what you are saying sound less definite. 3
noun as it were in a way; so to speak; as if it were really so 3
noun as it were as if it were so; so to speak 3
adverb as it were to the same degree, amount, or extent; similarly; equally: I don't think it's as hot and humid today as it was yesterday. 1
adverb as it were for example; for instance: Some flowers, as the rose, require special care. 1
adverb as it were thought to be or considered to be: the square as distinct from the rectangle; the church as separate from the state. 1

See all 26 definitions of as it were

Information block about the term

Origin of as it were

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 it were

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of As it were

as it were 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 it were usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for as it were

conj as it were

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 it were

that is — (used with adjectives and adverbs of quantity or extent) to the extent or degree indicated: that much; The fish was that big.
i.e. — id est: that is

All 4 Synonyms of as it were