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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.

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.

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.

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

by way of in British

a.

via

b.

by way of introduction

c.

in the state or condition of

by way of being an artist

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

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)

They walked to the administration building by way of a connecting corridor. McKewan, Ian THE INNOCENT (1989)

Nearby words of 'by way of'

Source

Definition of by way of from the Collins English Dictionary

Adjectives

Adjectives are used with nouns to make the meaning more specific. If you use the noun‘ bear’ it can mean any animal of that species. As soon as you say‘ a large, brown bear’ you have given two of its...

Read more about 'Adjectives'

Word of the day:

any beetle of the superfamily Lamellicornia, having flattened terminal plates to the antennae: includes the scarabs and stag beetles

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