wherewithal

English

WOTD – 15 September 2009

Etymology

From where +‎ withal.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈwɛə.wɪ.ðɔːl/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.ðɔl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.θɔl/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.ðɑl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.θɑl/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (General Australian):(file)

Noun

wherewithal (countable and uncountable, plural wherewithals)

  1. The ability and means required to accomplish some task.
    I would like to help your project, but I do not have the wherewithal.
    • 1688, John Dryden, The Life of St Francis Xavier, book II, translation of original by Dominique Bouhours:
      Justice was sold at the tribunals, and the most enormous crimes escaped from punishment, when the criminals had wherewithal to corrupt their judges.
    • 1954, Edward Eager, Half Magic:
      Big Council meeting! At the bookshop in twenty minutes. Carfare will be refunded. Can we scrape together the wherewithal?
    • 1986, David Leavitt, The Lost Language of Cranes, paperback edition, Penguin, page 67:
      "I just can't imagine," Philip said, "having that kind of self-knowledge, that kind of...wherewithal at fifteen. […] "
    • 2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian‎[1]:
      […] A single slice of this could leave you supine in front of the Queen's speech without even the wherewithal to reach for the remote control.
    • 2019, John O’Connell, Bowie's Bookshelf, →ISBN:
      Although Emma comes to realise she's trapped in a kind of hell, married to a dullard she despises, she lacks the intellectual wherewithal to plot a breakout more sophisticated than consorting with idiots such as Leon and Rodolphe.
    • 2022, Gary Gerstle, chapter 8, in The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order […] , New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, Part II. The Neoliberal Order, 1970–2020:
      In political economic terms, the pandemic worked to intensify a development that the decline in the neoliberal order had already set in motion: namely, a conviction that government was the only institution with the wherewithal to address severe economic and social hardship.

Translations

Adverb

wherewithal (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) In what way; how.
  2. (archaic) By means of which.
    Synonyms: whereby, wherewith

Translations

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts above across after afters again against along among amongst anent1 around as at away beit before beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid2 of on out over so soever somedever3 somever3 through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards -wise with withal within without
hence — — — — henceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
here hereabout hereabouts hereabove — hereafter hereafters — hereagainst — hereamong hereamongst hereanent — — hereat hereaway — herebefore — — — hereby — herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover — — — — herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto — hereupon — — — herewith herewithal herewithin herewithout
hither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — hitherto — hitherunto — — hitherward hitherwards — — — — —
how — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howbeit — — — — — however — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
that — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thataway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thatwise — — — —
thence — — — — — thenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceout — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
there thereabout thereabouts thereabove thereacross thereafter thereafters thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound — thereat thereaway — therebefore therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth — — therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow — — thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover — theresoever — — therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon — — — therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
this — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thisaway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thiswise — — — —
thither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherinsoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherto — — — — thitherward thitherwards — — — — —
what — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever — — — — — — — — — whatwise — — — —
when whenabout whenabouts — — — — — — — — — — — whenas — — — — — — — — whenever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenso whensoever — whensomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
whence — — — — whenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whencever — — whenceforth whenceforward — whencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenceward whencewards — — — — —
where whereabout whereabouts whereabove — whereafter whereafters — whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat whereaway — wherebefore wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth — — wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow — whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever — wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon — — — wherewith wherewithin wherewithout
whither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherever — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherinsoever — — — — — — — whitherso — — — — — whitherto whithertofore — — — whitherward whitherwards — — — — —
why — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyever whyfor — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyso whysoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1. Scottish
2. from Middle English mid
3. old dialectal form
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