both

pronoun, plural in construction

\ ˈbōth

Definition of both

(Entry 1 of 3)

: the one as well as the other both of us

both

conjunction

Definition of both (Entry 2 of 3)

—used as a function word to indicate and stress the inclusion of each of two or more things specified by coordinated words, phrases, or clauses prized both for its beauty and for its utilityhe … who loveth well both man and bird and beast —S. T. Coleridge

both

adjective

Definition of both (Entry 3 of 3)

: being the two : affecting or involving the one and the other both feet both his eyes both these armies

Examples of both in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Conjunction

Case in point: Right after King Arthur cuts off one, then both, of the Black Knight’s arms, a woman walks in with a basket and scoops them up. — Joanne Engelhardt, The Mercury News, "‘Spamalot’ is an infectious crowd-pleaser at Palo Alto Players," 3 May 2017 Get her to the Early Bird, a charming little breakfast spot with locations in both Westminster and DTC that is super casual and super good. — Allyson Reedy, The Know, "We’ve made your Denver Mother’s Day plans based on the kind of mom you have," 23 Apr. 2017 After a bullpen session, Pini suggested Gavin turn his two solid breaking balls (a curveball and a slider) into one really strong pitch, a slurve (combo of both), that became a bit more like a slider. — Mirin Fader, Orange County Register, "Cal State Fullerton pitcher John Gavin won’t settle for anything less than great," 4 Apr. 2017 What are your biggest concerns and priorities at this time — both in terms of the regulatory as well as industry development? — Alicia Wallace, The Cannabist, "Exclusive: Here’s how Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper really feels about marijuana," 31 Mar. 2017 It was built in 1922 at 107 E. Chestnut St. Both the city of Stillwater and Washington County, which had first and second dibs, declined to purchase the building. — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, "New armory in Stillwater will highlight history," 27 Feb. 2017 Neither squad has lost an in-state game yet, as both the Grizzlies (9-1) and the Patriots (10-1) each went 3-1 in their respective brackets in the prestigious Tarkanian Classic from Dec. 16-20 in Las Vegas. — Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, "5A’s top squads face off as ThunderRidge travels to George Washington," 3 Jan. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

This conspiracy thriller is about a young CIA analyst (Max Irons) whose brilliant mind turns out to be both a great asset and a great detriment. — Sandra Gonzalez, CNN, "8 new shows to watch this summer," 28 May 2018 HISTORY Barbara Bush was the second woman in U.S. history to be both a wife and mother of a U.S. president. — Washington Post, "Things to Remember about Barbara Bush," 18 Apr. 2018 There are reasons to look in both the Pennsylvania and the Michigan nominee. — NBC News, "Meet the Press - July 8, 2018," 8 July 2018 Three weeks later, Pors was thrilled to discover that about 25 percent of both the human and mouse follicles had survived the transplant and could be reliably recovered. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "How Artificial Ovaries Could Expand Fertility Options For Chemo Patients," 5 July 2018 Mayer is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end that was a member of both the Colonels' state championship football team last fall and their state championship basketball team this winter. — Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Covington Catholic's Michael Mayer commits to Notre Dame Fighting Irish for football," 1 July 2018 Perls said both the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture should be involved in this new arena, with the FDA examining health and safety and the USDA evaluating environmental impact. — Jaclyn Gallucci, Fortune, "Fake Meat? Environmental Group Worries It May Be Too Early," 27 June 2018 Landrieu, who now lobbies on behalf of both the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and several energy companies, said GOMESA's funding doesn't go far enough to provide money to Louisiana for its restoration program. — Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, "Louisiana to receive $82 million in Gulf offshore oil and gas revenue sharing," 26 Apr. 2018 The next month will give us a better idea of what kind of big-meet team Oregon will be on the both the men's and women's side. — OregonLive.com, "Too early to count out the Ducks for the outdoor championships: Oregon track & field rundown," 20 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'both.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.