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

• both
• either

Phrases with neither

• neither here nor there

  not relevant or important to the matter being discussed

  Example

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

• neither fish nor fowl

  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.

• neither rhyme nor reason

  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.