however

conjunction

how·ev·er | \ hau̇-ˈe-vər

Definition of however

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : in whatever manner or way that will help however I can

2 archaic : although

however

adverb

Definition of however (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : in whatever manner or way shall serve you, sir, truly, however else— William Shakespeare

b : to whatever degree or extent couldn't convince him, however hard she tried has done this for however many thousands of years— Emma Hawkridge

2 : in spite of that : on the other hand still seems possible, however, that conditions will improve would like to go; however, I think I'd better not

3 : how in the world however did you manage to do it

Synonyms Beginning a Sentence With However More Example Sentences Learn More about however

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Beginning a Sentence With However

However is one in a long list of words that students have been admonished to avoid placing at the beginning of a sentence (others include and, but, for, so, yet, and many more). Can you use however to start a sentence? Yes. Some usage guides will recommend against placing it there when the intended meaning is “nonetheless” but will allow it for other senses of however, but a considerable number of prominent (and not so prominent) writers utilize just this sense of however in the initial position. You should make your own judgment about such use and let your ear guide you regarding its appropriateness.

Examples of however in a Sentence

Conjunction

Do it however you like. I will help however I can.

Adverb

I'm all out of eggs; however, I can still make us a nice breakfast.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Even if this incarnation of the Warriors is done lifting championship trophies, however, the franchise’s legacy should never be forgotten. — Sean Gregory/oakland, Time, "The Golden State Warriors Revolutionized the NBA. Now They Plan to Keep the Dynasty Dream Alive," 20 June 2019 The ballerina, however, did not become a full-time member of Abby’s prestigious elite competition team until the fifth season of Dance Moms. — Mackenzie Dunn, Woman's Day, "Kalani Hilliker Has Moved On From ‘Dance Moms’," 20 June 2019 For now, however, more information on the committee and the project can be found on the town’s website. — Emily Brindley, courant.com, "New firm selected to oversee design of second renovation attempt at Farmington High School," 20 June 2019 The state’s guidance, however, carries little teeth since zoning decisions are made at the local level, and communities are often torn between fire safety and meeting local housing needs. — Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, "Can California avoid a third year of fire catastrophe? Here’s what’s been fixed — and what hasn’t," 20 June 2019 The mothers of the sick children seem unrepentant, however. — Washington Post, "New suffering for the children of the ISIS caliphate as hunger and sickness spread," 20 June 2019 Recently, however, a new player has joined the national park to offer a wide range of boat tours and in-water excursions to the public. — Bonnie Gross, sun-sentinel.com, "Boat tours explore underwater Biscayne National Park," 20 June 2019 Even smaller waves, created by dropping the ball from a lower height, however, can cause a boat to sink. — Ben Finio, Scientific American, "Surviving the Stormy Seas--with Science," 20 June 2019 The cartoon series was rebooted back in 2002 on Cartoon Network, however the franchise has remained inactive since then, despite Sony’s efforts to get a new film into production over the past several years. — Matt Mcnulty, PEOPLE.com, "Noah Centineo Opens Up About Playing He-Man: ‘It’s a Really Big Responsibility’," 19 June 2019

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