also
UK /ˈɔːl.səʊ/ · US /ˈɔl.soʊ/ adverb, conjunction
- adverb (conjunctive, focus) In addition; besides; as well; further; too. “Everyone had eggs for breakfast, but Alice also had toast. Also, she finished hers in under half an hour.”
- adverb (obsolete) To the same degree or extent; so, as.
- conjunction (focus) and in addition “It's a pretty dog, also loyal.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English also, alswo, alswa (also als(e), as, whence English as), from Old English eallswā (“just like, also”), from Proto-West Germanic *allswā, equivalent to all + so. Cognate with Scots alsa, alswa (“also, even so, in the same way, as, as well”), Saterland Frisian also (“accordingly, therefore, thus”), West Frisian alsa (“so, just so, even so, thus”), Old Saxon alsō (“similarly, as if, just as, when”), Dutch alzo (“so, thus”), German also (“so, thus”), Danish altså (“so”), Norwegian Bokmål altså (“so, therefore, accordingly, thus”), Norwegian Nynorsk altso (“so, accordingly, therefore, thus”), Swedish alltså (“so, therefore, accordingly, thus, then”). Doublet of as. More at all, so.
Webster’s 1913
- adverb In like manner; likewise. [Obs.]
- adverb In addition; besides; as well; further; too. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt. vi. 20.
Etymology [All + so. OE. al so, AS. ealswa, alsw, ælswæ; eal, al, æl, all + swa so. See All, So, As.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “also”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details