also Meaning, Definition & Usage

Al"so adverb & conjunction

Etymology

All + so. OE. al so, AS. ealswa, alsw, ælswæ; eal, al, æl, all + swa so. See All, So, As.

Definitions

1. In like manner; likewise. Obs.
2. In addition; besides; as well; further; too.

   Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt. vi. 20.

3. Even as; as; so. Obs. Chaucer. Syn. -- Also, Likewise, Too. These words are used by way of transition, in leaving one thought and passing to another. Also is the widest term. It denotes that what follows is all so, or entirely like that which preceded, or may be affirmed with the same truth; as, "If you were there, I was there also;" "If our situation has some discomforts, it has also many sources of enjoyment." Too is simply less formal and pointed than also; it marks the transition with a lighter touch; as, "I was there too;" "a courtier yet a patriot too." Pope. Likewise denotes literally "in like manner," and hence has been thought by some to be more specific than also. "It implies," says Whately, "some connection or agreement between the words it unites. We may say, ` He is a poet, and likewise a musician; ' but we should not say, ` He is a prince, and likewise a musician,' because there is no natural connection between these qualities." This distinction, however, is often disregarded.