as

1 of 9

adverb

əz,

(ˌ)az 

1

: to the same degree or amount

as soft as silk

twice as long

2

: for instance : such as

various trees, as oak or pine

3

: when considered in a specified form or relation

—usually used before a preposition or a participle

my opinion as distinguished from his

as

2 of 9

conjunction

1

: as if

He looks as he had seen a ghost.

—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

2

: in or to the same degree in which

soft as silk

—usually used as a correlative after an adjective or adverb modified by adverbial as or so

as cool as a cucumber

3

: in the way or manner that

Do as I do.

4

: in accordance with what or the way in which

quite good as boys go

5

: while, when

spilled the milk as she got up

6

: regardless of the degree to which : though

Improbable as it seems, it's true.

7

: for the reason that : because, since

stayed home as she had no car

8

: that the result is

so clearly guilty as to leave no doubt

Like vs. as: Usage Guide

Like has been used as a conjunction in ways similar to as since the 14th century. Although uses such as "Life isn't really like it is in the movies," "It looks like it's going to rain," and "shoes like a dancer wears" still draw criticism, there is no doubt that, after 600 years of use, conjunctive like is firmly established. In modern use it may be found in literature, journalism, and scholarly works as well as informal speech and writing. Nevertheless, when writing in a formal prose style, you may prefer to use constructions such as "Life isn't really as it is in the movies," "It looks as if it's going to rain," and "shoes such as a dancer wears" to avoid possible criticism.

as

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pronoun

1

: that, who, which

—used after same or such

in the same building as my brother

… tears such as angels weep …

—John Milton

and chiefly dialect after a substantive not modified by same or such

… that kind of fruit as maids call medlars …

—William Shakespeare

2

: a fact that

is a foreigner, as is evident from his accent

as

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preposition

1

a

: like sense 2

They all rose as one man.

b

: like sense 1a

… his face was as a mask which revealed nothing.

—Max Beerbohm

2

: in the capacity, character, condition, or role of

works as an editor

as

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noun

ˈas 

plural asses ˈa-ˌsēz 

ˈa-səz

1

a

: a bronze coin of the ancient Roman republic

b

: a unit of value equivalent to an as coin

2

: libra sense 2a

As

6 of 9

abbreviation (1)

altostratus

As

7 of 9

symbol

arsenic

AS

8 of 9

abbreviation (2)

1

after sight

2

airspeed

3

American Samoa

4

Anglo-Saxon

5

antisubmarine

6

associate in science

as-

9 of 9

prefix

see ad-

Phrases

as is

: in the presently existing condition without modification

bought the clock at an auction as is

as it were

: as if it were so : in a manner of speaking

His retirement was, as it were, the beginning of his real career.

Synonyms of as

Conjunction

• when
• while

Examples of as in a Sentence

Adverb

He was angry, but she was just as angry.

Conjunction

The letter “k” is sometimes silent, as it is in “knee.”

She spilled the milk just as she was getting up.

I met him as I was leaving.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Sports betting is probably as old as sports itself. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025

Presumably, if helicopters were as quiet as eVTOLs, would our cities currently have hundreds or thousands of helicopters flying around? —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

Preposition

In 2023 Atlas Merchant Capital, a combined hedge and PE fund headed by former Barclays CEO Bob Diamond, worked with Houlihan as its advisor to MarshBerry, in a significant fund investment for that leading platform in the insurance brokerage space. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025

Eric Pau, Senior Associate Director at Ricacorp Properties, a major real estate firm in Hong Kong, told CNN many banks view them as high-risk investments. —Chris Lau, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb, Conjunction, Pronoun, and Preposition

Middle English, from Old English eallswā likewise, just as — more at also

Noun

Latin

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Conjunction

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for as

• has
• jazz
• topaz
• whereas

Kids Definition

as

1 of 5 adverb

əz 

(ˌ)az

1

: to the same degree or amount

as cold as ice

a number twice as large

2

: for example

various trees, as oak or pine

as

2 of 5 conjunction

1

: in or to the same degree that

bright as day

2

: in the way or manner that

do as I say

3

: at the same time that : while, when

sang as they marched along

4

: though entry 2

improbable as it seems, it's true

5

: because, since

stayed home, as I had no car

6

: that the result is

so clearly guilty as to leave no doubt

as

3 of 5 pronoun

1

: that entry 1, who, which

—used after same or such

had the same name as my cousin

2

: a fact that

they are smart, as you know

as I said before, it's time to go

as

4 of 5 preposition

1

: like entry 4 sense 2

came dressed as a clown

2

: in the position or role of

working as an editor

as-

5 of 5

see ad-

Medical Definition

as

1 of 3 abbreviation

astigmatism

As

2 of 3 symbol

arsenic

AS

3 of 3 abbreviation

1

ankylosing spondylitis

2

aortic stenosis

3

arteriosclerosis

4

[Latin auris sinistra] left ear

—used especially in audiology and in writing medical prescriptions