as it were

Idioms and Phrases

Seemingly, in a way, as in He was living in a dream world, as it were . A shortening of “as if it were so,” this idiom has been in use since Chaucer's time (he had it in his Nun's Priest's Tale , c. 1386). Also see so to speak .

Example Sentences

"The thing for me is, it's been a long time since I was, as it were, on the dating market," he tells BBC News.

From BBC

“I was the spokesperson for the band, as it were, with the press and the label.”

From Los Angeles Times

It's important to understand that what we do in my business is we look at the world, as it were, through the Russian end of the telescope.

From Salon

Initially at least he is, as it were, diplomatic.

From BBC

"We’ve always asked for transformations in working environments, to make sure that we’re getting more bang, as it were, for your buck."

From BBC