noun
wherewithal
WEH-uh-wih-thawl
noun
1
The money, resources, or ability needed to do something.
"They didn't have the wherewithal to start the business."
How to Use Wherewithal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe means, especially money, needed to get something done.
Common pairings
the wherewithal to
lack the wherewithal
Word Forms
wherewithals plural
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Etymology
From "where-" plus "withal" (meaning "with that"); originally used only as an adverb, it came to be used as a noun for "means" around 1800.