anyhow
Americanadverb
-
in any way whatever.
-
in any case; at all events.
-
in a careless manner; haphazardly.
adverb
-
in any case; at any rate
-
in any manner or by any means whatever
-
in a haphazard manner; carelessly
Etymology
Origin of anyhow
Compare meaning
How does anyhow compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most people can focus only for three or four hours at a stretch, anyhow, so trying to work for eight solid hours isn’t really an effective use of your attention span.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
Fulham will have Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Calvin Bassey back from the Africa Cup of Nations, and I am not reading too much into their last-gasp defeat at Leeds last week anyhow.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
The purpose of abolition is, in part, accountability for the crimes its agents and administrators have committed, but it would be a worthy and necessary goal anyhow.
From Slate • Jan. 12, 2026
Dana Conway, the Milo Minderbinder of the story, who can source anything, anyhow, and keeps a closetful of things she shouldn’t have; nervous Pvt.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2024
The lake, which was receding gradually anyhow, experienced another sudden drop.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
