where·with·al
ˈ(h)wer-wi-ˌt͟hȯl 
-ˌthȯl
-ˌthȯl
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Wherewithal comes from where and withal (meaning "with"), and it has been used as a conjunction meaning "with or by means of which" and as a pronoun meaning "that with or by which." These days, however, it is almost always used as a noun referring to the means or resources a person has at one's disposal—especially financial resources.
Examples of wherewithal in a Sentence
Noun
A project as big as this requires a lot of financial wherewithal.
He doesn't have the wherewithal to finish what he started.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Clayton even had the wherewithal, before the confetti cannons erupted, to console Sharp on the court in a stroke of empathy by someone who had no obligation to do so in the defining moment of his career.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Lacking cell service and power at home, Susan took a few days to muster the wherewithal and nerve to check on Maples.
—Hanna Raskin, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2025
However, overall, most institutions do not have the financial wherewithal to offer tuition-free or no-loan aid programs, added Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor in chief.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wherewithal
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Noun
Doing so will benefit the mental wherewithal of society all told.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Clayton even had the wherewithal, before the confetti cannons erupted, to console Sharp on the court in a stroke of empathy by someone who had no obligation to do so in the defining moment of his career.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Lacking cell service and power at home, Susan took a few days to muster the wherewithal and nerve to check on Maples.
—Hanna Raskin, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2025
However, overall, most institutions do not have the financial wherewithal to offer tuition-free or no-loan aid programs, added Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor in chief.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wherewithal
Cite this Entry
“Wherewithal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wherewithal. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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