so that

4 synonyms for so that, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Conjunction — Used to introduce the purpose or intention behind an action.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

in order that so as to in order to with the result that

Synonyms by Meaning

1. conjunction

Used to introduce the purpose or intention behind an action.

“Leave a light on so that they can find the door.”

in order that so as to in order to

2. conjunction

Used to introduce the result of something, especially after so or such.

“The road was flooded, so that nobody could get through.”

with the result that

How to use so that

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

so that we can so that it does not so that everyone knows

In speech that is very often dropped: "I came early so I could get a seat." Keeping it is slightly more formal.

Etymology

From Middle English so that, so þat, sa þat, swo þat, swa þat, from Old English swā þæt, equivalent to so + that. Cognate with Saterland Frisian sodät, West Frisian sadat, Dutch zodat, German sodaß, sodass.

Full origin of so that →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between so that and in order to?

In order to is followed by a bare verb and needs the same subject: "I left early in order to catch the train." So that is followed by a full clause and can change the subject: "I left early so that she could use the car."

Can you drop the that in so that?

Yes, in the purpose sense, and it is normal in speech and informal writing. Keep that when the sentence is long or the meaning could otherwise be misread as the word so meaning therefore.

Nearby words

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