Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adverb At all; in any way.
from The Century Dictionary.
- A word generally used in composition to extend or render indefinite the sense of such words as who, what, where, when, how, etc., as in whosoever, wheresoever, etc. (See these words.) It is sometimes used separate from who, how, etc.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- A word compounded of
so andever , used in composition withwho ,what ,where ,when ,how , etc., and indicating any out of all possible or supposable persons, things, places, times, ways, etc. It is sometimes used separate from the pronoun or adverb.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb archaic In any fashion, of any kind; used for emphasis after words such as
how ,what ,which etc.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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To conclude all: That man that can dispense with himself, as to moral duties, that makes no conscience of telling a lie, or breaking his word; what badge soever he may wear, what title soever he may call himself by, it is as impossible that such a man should be a true
The Works of Dr. John Tillotson, Late Archbishop of Canterbury. Vol. 06. 1630-1694 1820
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The sickness of good people, how threatening soever, is nor unto death, for it is not unto eternal death.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume V (Matthew to John) 1721
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Right or wrong, they would adhere to that, how vain soever, which they had received by tradition from their fathers.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation) 1721
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Christ, because it calls men off from those crafts which are unlawful, how much wealth soever is to be obtained by them.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation) 1721
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See what reason we have to honour those that fear the Lord; how mean and despicable soever the saints now appear in the eye of the world, and how much contempt soever is poured upon them; they are the saints of the Most High; they are near and dear to God, and he owns them for his, and judgment is given to them.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume IV (Isaiah to Malachi) 1721
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The first of these is usually referred to metaphysicks: but under what title soever the consideration of spirits comes, I think it ought to go before the study of matter and body, not as a science that can be methodized into a system, and treated of upon principles of knowledge; but as an enlargement of our minds towards a truer and fuller comprehension of the intellectual world to which we are led both by reason and revelation.
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The purport of this association was to defend the queen, to revenge her death, or any injury committed against her, and to exclude from the throne all claimants, what title soever they might possess, by whose suggestion or for whose behoof any violence should be offered to her majesty, [***] The queen of Scots was sensible that this association was levelled against her; and to remove all suspicion from herself, she also desired leave to subscribe it.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part D. From Elizabeth to James I. David Hume 1743
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But now I have dismissed thee, -- thee, I say, N., the daughter of N., by what name soever thou art called, of the city N.
From the Talmud and Hebraica 1602-1675 1979
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By what word soever Christ expressed this children to them, it seems to be a very familiar and gentle compellation, that his disciples, from that very salutation of his, might discern him.
From the Talmud and Hebraica 1602-1675 1979
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Koinōnia idiōmatōn, — that communication of attributes in the person, whereby the properties of either nature are promiscuously spoken of the person of Christ, under what name soever, of God or man, he be spoken of, Acts xx. 28, iii.
Of Communion with God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost 1616-1683 1965
fbharjo commented on the word soever
At all; in any way: “Space to breathe, how short soever�? (Ben Jonson).
March 22, 2009
madmouth commented on the word soever
"In what torn ship so ever I embark,
That ship shall be my emblem of Thy ark;
What sea soever swallow me, that flood
Shall be to me an emblem of Thy blood"
-Donne's trip to Germany
January 13, 2014
bilby commented on the word soever
Should have just gone to Oktoberfest and left it at that.
January 13, 2014