When someone uses the word nevertheless, what does that mean? The nevertheless meaning is basically like “in spite of that.” By reading on, you’ll learn more about this adverb and the current usage of the word.
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What Does Nevertheless Mean?
Nevertheless is a conjunctive adverb that means something to the effect of “in spite of that” or “however.” Language scholars believe it came from the Middle English word “neverthelater.” It meant “notwithstanding” or “despite anything to the contrary,” very similar to the nevertheless meaning we use today.
Examples:
- Her various online sources were a hit-and-miss, but nevertheless, they were useful.
- Nevertheless, you will still have to go through this project according to all the details.
- You can tweak it your own way, but the final results will still have to match the first known use, nevertheless.
- Nevertheless, your feedback on the ad was useful.
- Advanced search is still needed, nevertheless.
- Nevertheless, I still expect more recent examples.
- Your grammar should be perfect, nevertheless.
- Nevertheless, you should consult a dictionary like Merriam-Webster.
- I understand your concerns, but we made a commitment and have to meet it nevertheless.
- We will proceed, nevertheless, after duly noting your concerns but thinking they won’t really impact our plans.
Synonyms Of Nevertheless
Whether you want variety or something more precise, you can use several alternatives nevertheless. Following are some examples:
- After all
- All the same
- Anyhow
- But
- Even so
- Even though
- However
- In spite of that
- Notwithstanding
- Regardless
- Still
- That being said
- Though
- Yet
Tip: Nonetheless is different from nevertheless.
When and How to Use Nevertheless?
You can use nevertheless in both formal/informal English, and you can use it in verbal conversations and online.
What isn’t clear is how to use punctuation with nevertheless. Do you need a comma? If you do, do you always need one? And if you don’t, why not?
- Starting a sentence with “Nevertheless” requires a comma because it creates a natural pause.
- As the examples show, adding a comma at the middle or end really depends upon the flow. Say your thought using nevertheless out loud. If there’s a pause before and after it, you’ll need two commas to set it off. If there’s a pause and nevertheless is at the end, a comma should precede it.
Finally, nevertheless is not a conjunction, so you can’t use it to join two independent clauses. Take the following variation of a previous example:
- They warned you not to look inside the bag, nevertheless, you did so and spoiled your birthday surprise.
This is a run-on sentence – the incorrect combination of two independent clauses. The correct way is to use a semicolon, a comma, and a conjunction, or a period and two sentences. Please remember that nevertheless is an adverb, not a conjunction (joining word).
Tip: If you want to use nevertheless when joining two sentences without a semicolon, you can use the conjunction but.
Example:
- They warned you not to look inside the bag, but you nevertheless did so and spoiled your birthday surprise.
Final Thoughts
The nevertheless meaning people are conveying is essentially “in spite of that” or “despite that.” It means that something happened regardless of expectations that it might not have.
