Wherewithal refers to the necessary means or resources, particularly financial resources, needed to accomplish something.
Wherewithal refers to the necessary means or resources, particularly financial resources, needed to accomplish something.
| Word | wherewithal |
|---|---|
| Date | January 20, 2019 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | WAIR-wih-thawl |
| Etymology | Wherewithal has been with us in one form or another since the 16th century. It comes from our still-familiar word where, and withal, a Middle English combination of with and all, meaning "with." Wherewithal has been used as a conjunction meaning "with or by means of which" and as a pronoun meaning "that with or by which." These days, however, it is almost always used as a noun referring to the means or resources—especially financial resources—one has at one's disposal. |
| Examples | If I had the wherewithal, I'd buy that empty lot next door and put in a garden. "Typically, when a person makes more money and has more savings, they add credit such as signing up for a new card or taking on a car loan. That's because they're confident they have the financial wherewithal to pay back the debt." — Janna Herron, USA Today, 5 Dec. 2018 |
| Definition | : means or resources for purchasing or doing something; specifically : financial resources : money |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Gargantuan adjective gargantua giant colossal tremendous town chamonix
Previous card: Substantive stand adjective meaning expressing century substance b
Up to card list: Word of the Day