wherewith

English

Alternative forms

• wherwith (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English wherwith. By surface analysis, where ‎ with.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /wɛəˈwɪð/
• (US, without the wine–whine merger) IPA^(key): /ʍɛɚˈwɪð/, /ʍɛɚˈwɪθ/
• (US, wine–whine merger) IPA^(key): /wɛɚˈwɪð/, /wɛɚˈwɪθ/
• Rhymes: -ɪð, (US) -ɪθ

Adverb

wherewith (not comparable)

1. (archaic) With which; with what.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 5:13, column 1:

     Yee are the ſalt of the earth: But if the ſalt haue loſt his ſauour, wherewith ſhall it bee ſalted?

   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Emperor of Lilliput, Attended by Several of the Nobility, Come to See the Author in His Confinement. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 39:

     In the left there was a ſort of Engine, from the Back of which were extended twenty long Poles, reſembling the Paliſado's before your Majeſty's Court; wherewith we conjecture the Man-Mountain combs his Head, for we did not always trouble him with Queſtions, becauſe we found it a great Difficulty to make him underſtand us.

   • 1885, Christina G[eorgina] Rossetti, “December 29 [Love Came Down at Christmas]”, in Time Flies: A Reading Diary […], London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge […], →OCLC, page 251:

     Worship we the Godhead, / Love Incarnate, Love Divine, / Worship we our Jesus,— / But wherewith for sacred sign? // Love shall be our token, / Love be yours and love be mine, / Love to God and all men, / Love the universal sign.

Translations

with which

• Bulgarian: с помощта на който (s pomoštta na kojto)
• Dutch: waarmee (nl)
• Finnish: millä (fi)
• French: avec quoi
• German: womit (de)
• Italian: con cui (common), con il quale/col quale m sg (formal), con la quale f sg (formal), con i quali/coi quali m pl (formal), con le quali f pl (formal)
• Norwegian:

  Riksmål: hvormed

• Portuguese: com que
• Swedish: varmed (sv)

Noun

wherewith (usually uncountable, plural wherewiths)

1. (archaic) Something with which; the means by which.

   Synonym: wherewithal

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, “An Apologie of Raymond Sebond”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 284:

     Hath not he wherewith [translating dequoy] to be beholding vnto this his killing vivacitie?

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words

• (about): hereabout, thereabout, whereabout
• (abouts): hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts
• (after): hereafter, thereafter, whereafter
• (again): thereagain
• (against): hereagainst, thereagainst, whereagainst
• (among): hereamong, thereamong, whereamong
• (amongst): thereamongst, whereamongst
• (around): therearound, wherearound
• (as): thereas, whereas
• (at): hereat, thereat, whereat
• (before): herebefore, therebefore
• (beside): therebeside
• (between): therebetween, wherebetween
• (by): hereby, thereby, whereby
• (for): herefor, therefor, wherefor
• (fore): herefore, therefore, wherefore
• (from): herefrom, therefrom, wherefrom
• (hence): herehence, therehence
• (in): herein, therein, wherein
• (in after): hereinafter, thereinafter, whereinafter
• (in before): hereinbefore, thereinbefore, whereinbefore
• (into): hereinto, thereinto, whereinto
• (of): hereof, thereof, whereof
• (on): hereon, thereon, whereon
• (out): hereout, thereout, whereout
• (to): hereto, thereto, whereto
• (tofore): heretofore, theretofore, wheretofore
• (under): hereunder, thereunder, whereunder
• (unto): hereunto, thereunto, whereunto
• (upon): hereupon, thereupon, whereupon
• (with): herewith, therewith, wherewith
• (withal): herewithal, therewithal, wherewithal