Word of the Day

: December 7, 2013

albeit

conjunction awl-BEE-it

What It Means

: conceding the fact that : even though : although

albeit in Context

Troy has finally landed a role in a Broadway play, albeit as a minor character. "Earth is an afterthought-just one of the 'nine realms,' albeit the one with Natalie Portman." - From a movie review by Jake Coyleap in The Daily Commercial (Leesburg, Florida), November 7, 2013

Did You Know?

Speakers of Middle English formed "albeit" from a combination of "al" ("all, completely") with "be" and "it," creating this word which literally means "although it be." Use of "albeit" seemed to drop off a bit in the 19th century, but in the middle of the 20th century several usage commentators observed that the "archaic" word was making a comeback. The "archaic" descriptor was not entirely apt; "albeit" may have become less common for a while but it never really went out of use. It is true, however, that use of "albeit" has increased considerably since the 1930s, judging by evidence in Merriam-Webster's files.