albeit
conjunction
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Albeit dates to the 14th century and comes from a Middle English word meaning, literally, "all (or completely) though it be." Its heritage is clear in its pronunciation, which is as though it were three words instead of one: all, be, it. In the early 20th century, albeit was accused of being archaic. That descriptor was never quite accurate; the word had mostly been holding steady at "not-terribly-common" since at least the mid-18th century. When albeit began to see a marked increase in use in the mid-20th century, several usage commentators proclaimed that it was making a comeback, and its "archaic" descriptor was fully recognized as no longer apt.
Synonyms
Examples of albeit in a Sentence
Leslie Bennetts, Vanity Fair, Sept. 2000
As created during the Depression by a promoter named Leo Seltzer, roller derby was the first sport in which men and women competed on the same team, albeit on a separate-but-equal basis, alternating periods on the track.
—Frank Deford, New York Times Magazine, 4 Jan. 1998
… customers seemed generally cheery, albeit some were more cautious than others …
—Cynthia Clark, Publishers Weekly, 26 Jan. 1998
But suppose the life were in many ways a mess, albeit a fascinating, courageous, picturesque and emotionally intense mess …
—Diane Ackerman, New York Times Book Review, 23 Aug. 1987
She appeared on the show, albeit briefly.
It was an amazing computer, albeit expensive.
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Cite this Entry
“Albeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/albeit. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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