whether or not

phrase

1

: without being stopped or affected by something specified

We're going whether or not you decide to come along.

2

a

: if it is or was true that

uncertain whether or not all the options have been explored

b

: if it is or was better

wondered whether or not to include those details

3

archaic : in any case

"They've only been married a very few weeks, whether or no."

—Thomas Hardy

Examples of whether or not in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Conway pointed to how often a mistake like this gets read through a betting lens now, whether or not that’s the right lens. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 July 2026

The table then broke down whether or not former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who is gay, had a shot at winning a presidential election as well. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026

Thousands of the company’s hourly employees have accumulated more than $1 million in their 401(k)s, helped along by a company contribution that arrives whether or not the worker is paying attention. — Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

The question now, however, becomes whether or not DePodesta will put Goodman on a first-place team. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Rhymes for whether or not

• immunoblot
• aeronaut
• aforethought
• afterthought
• apricot
• argonaut
• astronaut
• camelot
• coffeepot
• concordat
• cosmonaut
• entrepot