wherewithal

noun

where·with·al | \ ˈhwer-wi-ˌt͟hȯl

, ˈwer-, -ˌthȯl

Definition of wherewithal

(Entry 1 of 3)

: means, resources specifically : money didn't have the wherewithal for an expensive dinner

wherewithal

conjunction

Definition of wherewithal (Entry 2 of 3)

: wherewith

wherewithal

pronoun

Definition of wherewithal (Entry 3 of 3)

: wherewith

Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about wherewithal

Keep scrolling for more

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: Noun

What is often lacking is the wherewithal to carry that out. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, "How Detained Children Are Treated Around the World," 10 July 2019 Scrutiny by food scientists busted those myths, beginning with the commonsensical observation that bone itself is so dense that, in the short time given over to grilling, marrow has neither the chance nor the wherewithal to make it to the meat. — Bill St. John, The Denver Post, "With steaks, closer to the bone makes a difference," 10 July 2019 And Castro has not had the wherewithal for aggressive digital forays until recently. — Bill Lambrecht, ExpressNews.com, "2020 campaigns spend heavily on Facebook ads, despite scandals of 2016," 2 July 2019 And there are plenty of students who work hard but whose parents don’t have the wherewithal to help them take such classes. — Kevin Baker, Harper's magazine, "What We Do in the Shadows," 24 June 2019 The experience showed him the effect the environment had on people, especially those without the wherewithal to move away from the city center. — Vince Guerrieri, Popular Mechanics, "Smoke on the Water: 50 Years After the Cuyahoga Fire," 20 June 2019 Does America — and, specifically, NASA — have the dedication and institutional wherewithal to meet the Chinese challenge? — Jack H. Burke, National Review, "China’s New Wealth-Creation Scheme: Mining the Moon," 13 June 2019 Neymar’s legal strategy going forward Neymar, who is reportedly worth in the ballpark of $185 million, has the financial wherewithal to hire an army of criminal defense attorneys to represent his interests in Brazil and, if necessary, France. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Neymar's Social Media Response, Geography Add Layers to Rape Accusation," 4 June 2019 The important thing is that the Sixers have the wherewithal to formulate an offer that, at worst, is competitive, and, at best, can’t be beat. — David Murphy, Philly.com, "How much value does the Sixers' newly acquired first-round draft pick have? More than you might think | David Murphy," 22 June 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.