whether or not

1 of 2

phrase (1)

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

whether or not

2 of 2

phrase (2)

variant of whether or no

: 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

Phrase

His remarks triggered fierce criticism and prompted Berlin artistic director Tricia Tuttle to publicly defend artists’ right to decide whether or not to speak on political issues. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

The intention is for the 18-year-old to return to Genk on loan for the 2026-27 season, but this is dependent on whether or not Liverpool No 2 Giorgi Mamardashvili stays beyond the deadline. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Most workers earn the 40 credits needed for retirement after about 10 years of work, and those credits stay with you for life, whether or not those 10 years occurred consecutively. — Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026

There was a little confusion as to whether or not the match was really over, but when the bell rang, fans booed loudly. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for whether or not

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