both

The word “both” means referring to two people or things together, rather than just one. In plain terms, used to refer to two things or people at once, treating them as a pair.

“Both” is pronounced bohth ([boʊθ] in IPA).

Here is “both” used in a sentence: “Both children were tired after the long drive.”

Depending on how it is used, “both” can be a det and a conjunction.

The word “both” comes from Old English. From Old English ba tha ("both the"), reinforced by a related Old Norse form — an old remnant of a grammatical form once used specifically for pairs of things.

“Both” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Both” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: referring to two people or things together, rather than just one.

'Both' refers to exactly two people or things, taken together — 'both hands.' 'All' refers to every member of a group of any size, usually three or more — 'all fingers.' Use 'both' only when there are precisely two; once the number rises above two, 'all' is the correct word.

'Both' means the two together — 'both roads were closed' means neither was open. 'Either' means one or the other of the two — 'either road will do' means you can pick just one. Both includes the pair at once, while either selects a single option from the two.

No. 'Both' refers strictly to two people or things. For three or more, you need 'all' instead. Saying 'both' about three items is a common mistake. If you're grouping more than two, or you're unsure of the exact number, 'all' is the safe and correct choice.