nonetheless

adverb

none·​the·​less ˌnən-t͟hə-ˈles 

: in spite of what has just been said : nevertheless

The hike was difficult, but fun nonetheless.

… smaller but nonetheless important research programs.

—Malcolm W. Browne

More removed from vineyards, but worth a side trip nonetheless, is the small city of Mirepoix.

—Kim Marcus

Fish-belly gray and homely as oatmeal, it nonetheless evokes the fresh, mild scent and flavor of the catch of the day.

—Nancy Coons

Synonyms of nonetheless

• however
• nevertheless
• though
• still

Examples of nonetheless in a Sentence

sometimes you can be a real jerk, but I like you nonetheless

Recent Examples on the Web

Band member Hanni Pham nonetheless denounced ADOR for its treatment of her and her bandmates in a 2024 testimony to the Korean Parliament. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026

The next two years likely won’t bring aggressive climate policy, nonetheless a shift is expected as a result of the midterms. — Simmone Shah, Time, 4 Nov. 2026

Butterflied thighs with the lightest of marinades come straight off the grill to be dressed with a sauce that’s thin by Seattle standards, but nonetheless lands a careful balance of savory and sweet. — Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

That threat from the hyperbolic president, denounced by legal scholars, has nonetheless gained credence in recent days, as federal prosecutors have issued their grand jury subpoenas to election officials. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonetheless

• adulteress
• adventuress
• nevertheless
• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress

Video

Is 'none' singular or plural?

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to Ask the Editor. I'm Emily Brewster, an associate editor at Merriam-Webster.
 
Please forgive the depressing entrée into this important grammar matter as you consider the following examples.
- None of the doughnuts are left.
- None of the coffee is left.
- I was hoping there would be some left, but when I looked none was there.
- None were there?
 
Hmm. Sometimes it's just not clear which verb to use with none. Is it singular, or plural, or both?
 
There's a rumor about none. It says that none is always singular, and that even my first sentence, none of the doughnuts are left, should be singular, none of the doughnuts is left.
 
None, so the rumor goes, means not one, and is therefore singular, just as the phrase not one is singular, like in the endlessly depressing sentence, not one doughnut is left.
 
This rumor is more than 200 years old, and it's based on the fact that the word none is from an old English word that means not one. That part is true. But, unlike our modern English phrase, not one, that old English word could be either singular or plural.
 
The fact is that none has been used with plural verbs for more than a thousand years. Not only that, but none, in modern English, doesn't mean only not one. It also means not any, as in, half a doughnut is better than none. And it means no part, or nothing, as in, I want to hear none of this foolishness about a lack of doughnuts.
 
Usage experts acknowledge that none is sometimes singular and sometimes plural. They mostly recommend that you treat it as singular when it means not one, or no amount, and plural when it means not any.
 
None of that will get you doughnuts, or coffee. But it's sound advice, nonetheless.
 
There are many more Ask the Editor videos at merriam-webster.com.

Kids Definition

nonetheless

adverb

none·​the·​less ˌnən-t͟hə-ˈles 

: nevertheless