neither

[ˈnaɪðər]

neither Definition

not one nor the other of two people or things; not either.

Using neither: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "neither" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

  • Example

    Neither option seems appealing to me.

  • Example

    Neither of us has any experience in this field.

  • Example

    I like neither coffee nor tea.

  • Example

    Neither of them showed up for the meeting.

neither Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for neither

  • none
  • not either
  • not one

Antonyms for neither

Phrases with neither

  • not relevant or important to the matter being discussed

    Example

    Whether he likes it or not is neither here nor there.

  • not easily categorized or defined; not fitting into a particular group or type

    Example

    The new product is neither fish nor fowl, and it's hard to say who the target audience is.

  • lacking sense or order; not making logical sense

    Example

    The decision seemed to have neither rhyme nor reason, and no one could understand why it was made.

Origins of neither

from Old English 'nāhwæther', meaning 'not either'

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Summary: neither in Brief

The term 'neither' [ˈnaɪðər] refers to the absence of both options or people. It can be used as a conjunction, determiner, or pronoun. Examples include 'Neither option seems appealing to me.' and 'Neither of us has any experience in this field.' Phrases like 'neither here nor there' denote irrelevance, while 'neither fish nor fowl' implies ambiguity, and 'neither rhyme nor reason' suggests lack of logic.

How do native speakers use this expression?