as it were
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, it, wereUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, it, were.
Meaning
3 senses(not comparable)Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, it, were.
(not comparable)Used to indicate that a word or statement is perhaps not exact though practically right; as if it were so.
gewissermaßen, gleichsam, sozusagen
так сказа́тьtak skazátʹ
(not comparable)Used to draw attention to the use of a metaphor, sometimes to prevent confusion or to highlight wordplay.
She gave all of the women seated at the restaurant food for thought, as it were.
Concerns that cloud seeding might “steal” water from an area a cloud is traveling toward—robbing Peter to water Paul, as it were—have been dispelled.
- as if it were really so
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English as it were, as hyt were, als it were, als hit were, from Old English *From Middle English as it were, as hyt were, als it were, als hit were, from Old English *ealswā hit wǣre, attested only as swā hit wǣre and swylċe hit wǣre (“as it were”, literally “as it would be”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Synonyms
5 synonyms- as if it were really so:so to speak
Word family
1 related wordsSee also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.