English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Translator | COBUILD Grammar Patterns | Scrabble | Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
| Sign Up | Log In
 
English
Menu
English Dictionary Thesaurus Translator Grammar Scrabble Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
Sign Up Log In

Definition of 'by way of'

by way of

phrase
You use by way of when you are explaining the purpose of something that you have said or are about to say. For example, if you say something by way of an introduction, you say it as an introduction.
By way of contrast, Manchester United will travel slightly more than 1,200 miles.
'I get very superstitious about things like that,' she said by way of explanation.
way
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

by way of

prepositional phrase [PREP n]
If you do something by way of a particular method, you use that method to do it.
[mainly British, written]
I teach psychology by way of a range of traditional lectures, practicals and tutorials.
way
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

by way of

prepositional phrase [PREP n]
If you go somewhere by way of a particular place, you go through that place in order to get to where you want.
The path goes under the river by way of the tunnel.
way
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

by way of in British

a. 
via
b. 
serving as
by way of introduction
c. 
in the state or condition of
by way of being an artist
way
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

by way of in American

1. 
passing through; through; via
2. 
as a way, method, mode, or means of
3.  Chiefly British
in the condition or position of
by way of being a fine pianist
way
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Example sentences containing 'by way of'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
There seemed little Arnold could say by way of argument. Lewis, Roy A TROUT IN THE MILK (1989)Toni retched, and received a sickening blow at the base of the spine by way of reward. Townsend, Eileen IN LOVE AND WAR (1989)
They walked to the administration building by way of a connecting corridor. McKewan, Ian THE INNOCENT (1989)

Nearby words of 'by way of'

  • by turns
  • by virtue of
  • by water
  • by way of
  • by weight
  • by wholesale
  • by word of mouth

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'B'

Source

Definition of by way of from the Collins English Dictionary

Conditional clauses

Conditional sentences consist of a main clause and a conditional clause (sometimes called an if- clause). The conditional clause usually begins with if or unless. The conditional clause can come befo...
Read more about 'Conditional clauses'
Word of the day:
nectarivorous
feeding on nectar
See full definition
Apr 24, 2018
Take better control of your finances with these simple steps
Do you find yourself living paycheque to paycheque? Dr Peter Brooks offers his advice to make that money last
Read more
The etymology behind 4 eggs-ellent Springtime words
We’ve explored the diverse etymology of 4 eggs-ellent words associated with spring.
Read more
Up Lit, Alexa Laugh & Meet Me at McDonald’s Hair: March’s Words In The News
Catch up on the latest words in the news this March with Robert Groves.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Latest Word Submissions
Barrecore Apr 18, 2018
wido Apr 18, 2018
centimorgan Apr 17, 2018
gender expansive Apr 16, 2018
Carthritis Apr 15, 2018
Submit View More
Browse the English Dictionary
  • #
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
View all dictionaries...
  • View more
  • API
  • B2B Partnerships
  • Advertising
  • Word Banks
  • Collins COBUILD
  • Collins ELT
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact us
  • Languages
  • English
  • Thesaurus
  • Grammar
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Portuguese
  • Hindi
  • Word Lists
  • Word of the Year
  • Scrabble
  • COBUILD Anniversary
© Collins 2018