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notwithstanding

UK/ˌnɒtwɪðˈstændɪŋ/US/ˌnɑtwɪθˈstændɪŋ/
prepositionC1Common in everyday speech and writing · #8,326 of 15,258leans written

Notwithstanding means in spite of, in formal writing. Notwithstanding the delay, notwithstanding the above, the objections notwithstanding.

It is unusual in being able to go before or after the thing it governs, which almost nothing else in English does. It belongs to contracts and to legal drafting, where notwithstanding anything to the contrary is a standard opening.

Definitions of notwithstanding

  1. 1prepositionnotwithstandingIn spite of, in formal writing.C1

    “Notwithstanding the bad weather, the match went ahead as planned.”

notwithstanding is a connective.

Where it comes from

Not plus withstanding, a Middle English formation translating a Latin construction.

  1. Middle English

    notwithstandinge

  2. English, today

    notwithstanding

From Middle English notwithstandinge, notwithstondyng, natwithstandyng, equivalent to not + withstanding. Compare Middle English notgainstonding, not aȝenstondynge, of similar meaning and formation.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

notwithstanding in the wild

  • In literal terms, the judge enters a judgment notwithstanding the jury verdict.

    Judgment notwithstanding verdict

  • A judgment notwithstanding the verdict is occasionally made when a jury refuses to follow a judge's instruction to arrive at a certain verdict.

    Judgment notwithstanding verdict

  • Except for having three members between 1981 and 1982 notwithstanding, the conference stayed between four and six members through its lifetime.

    Midland Conference

  • The statute operates despite the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and also notwithstanding certain sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    Act respecting the laicity of the State

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.