wherewithal

conjunction where·with·al \ ˈhwer-wi-ˌt͟hȯl , ˈwer- , -ˌthȯl \

|Updated on: 28 Jul 2018

Examples: wherewithal in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of wherewithal

: wherewith

wherewithal was our Word of the Day on 12/14/2013. Hear the podcast!

Origin and Etymology of wherewithal

where + ²withal

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1534

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

wherewithal

pronoun

Definition of wherewithal

: wherewith

First Known Use of wherewithal

1583

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

wherewithal

noun

Definition of wherewithal

: means, resources; specifically : money

didn't have the wherewithal for an expensive dinner

See wherewithal defined for English-language learners

See wherewithal defined for kids

Examples of wherewithal in a Sentence

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 of wherewithal from the Web

Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad on Thursday ruled that Uresti doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to afford to pay for his own attorney.

— patrick danner, San Antonio Express-News, "Judge refuses to appoint Uresti’s lawyer of choice for appeal," 12 July 2018
In places where families have the space and wherewithal, team roping is practiced as a recreational sport, kind of like doubles tennis.

— melissa lyttle, Smithsonian, "The First Family of Rodeo," 13 Dec. 2017
In an era when many high-end brands have been snapped up by conglomerates, analysts and investors have wondered if Chanel has the financial wherewithal to remain independent.

— matthew dalton, WSJ, "Chanel’s First Results Release Shows Its Financial Might," 21 June 2018
Yet many of the companies developing these tools have neither the funds nor the wherewithal to test effectively and efficiently what can really help at the bedside.

— derek angus, STAT, "Current efforts to fight sepsis aren’t working. We need a bolder approach," 14 June 2018
Few criminals have the wherewithal to pull off a heist like that and leave no trail, so it's already rumored that the infamous Pink Panthers were behind the robbery.

— emily selter, Town & Country, "The Story Behind the Crime Network Rumored to Have Robbed Kim Kardashian," 4 Oct. 2016
The financial wherewithal to pay for treatment is critical.

— mark daly, idahostatesman, "Helping lead in the most difficult circumstances, when faced with Alzheimer’s toll | Idaho Statesman," 21 May 2018
Fifth, Michigan State has the financial wherewithal to pay a sizable judgment without compromising its other contractual obligations or core academic mission.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Michigan State Settles With the Victims of Larry Nassar's Abuse. How Might the NCAA Respond?," 18 May 2018
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which is really the only country that has the wherewithal to do something about it, is content to let the market overtighten, allowing oil prices to shoot up.

— nick cunningham, USA TODAY, "Oil prices analysis: How high could Trump actions, Saudi efforts push cost per barrel?," 20 Apr. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Wherewithal has been with us in one form or another since the 16th century. It 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 one has at one's disposal - especially financial resources, that is, money.