Word of the Day

: June 23, 2025

wherewithal

noun WAIR-wih-thawl

What It Means

Wherewithal refers to the means, skills, resources, or money that is needed to get or do something.

// The company does not have the financial wherewithal to expand into other markets at this time.

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wherewithal in Context

"... it is heartening to know that there are people of real influence who have the will and wherewithal to help lift the city out of the doldrums." — Scott Wright, The Herald (Scotland), 15 May 2025

Did You Know?

If wherewithal sounds like three words smashed together, that’s because it is—sort of. Wherewithal combines where and withal, an adverb from Middle English that is itself a combination of with and all. In the past, wherewithal was used as a conjunction meaning "with or by means of which" and as a pronoun meaning "that with or by which." Today, however, it is almost always used as a noun to refer to the means or resources a person or entity has at their disposal. It refers especially to financial resources, but other means such as social influence, ability, and emotional capacity may also be termed as "wherewithal."