Definition of AS (original) (raw)
1
: to the same degree or amount
2
: for instance : such as
various trees, as oak or pine
3
: when considered in a specified form or relation —usually used before a preposition or a participle
my opinion as distinguished from his
1
: [as if](/dictionary/as if)
He looks as he had seen a ghost.—
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
2
: in or to the same degree in which —usually used as a correlative after an adjective or adverb modified by adverbial as or so
as cool as a cucumber
3
: in the way or manner that
4
: in accordance with what or the way in which
6
: regardless of the degree to which : though
Improbable as it seems, it's true.
7
: for the reason that : because, since
stayed home as she had no car
8
: that the result is
so clearly guilty as to leave no doubt
Like vs. as: Usage Guide
Like has been used as a conjunction in ways similar to as since the 14th century. Although uses such as "Life isn't really like it is in the movies," "It looks like it's going to rain," and "shoes like a dancer wears" still draw criticism, there is no doubt that, after 600 years of use, conjunctive like is firmly established. In modern use it may be found in literature, journalism, and scholarly works as well as informal speech and writing. Nevertheless, when writing in a formal prose style, you may prefer to use constructions such as "Life isn't really as it is in the movies," "It looks as if it's going to rain," and "shoes such as a dancer wears" to avoid possible criticism.
1
: that, who, which —used after same or such
in the same building as my brother
… tears such as angels weep …—John Milton
and chiefly dialect after a substantive not modified by same or such
… that kind of fruit as maids call medlars …—William Shakespeare
2
: a fact that
is a foreigner, as is evident from his accent
1
b
… his face was as a mask which revealed nothing.—Max Beerbohm
2
: in the capacity, character, condition, or role of
1
a
: a bronze coin of the ancient Roman republic
b
: a unit of value equivalent to an as coin
Synonyms of as
Examples of as in a Sentence
Adverb
He was angry, but she was just as angry. Conjunction
The letter “k” is sometimes silent, as it is in “knee.” She spilled the milk just as she was getting up. I met him as I was leaving.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Additionally, after midnight our number of available restrooms drops to almost zero as the few stores and restaurants who allow noncustomers to use their facilities close as well. —Michael Perkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026 The anchor w_as_ there to do a job and was being as professional as can be, and that wasn't necessarily reciprocated. —Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
That is often billed as a finishing school for footballing talent, but graduates inevitably remain rough around the edges. —Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 13 May 2026 The detentions come after a handful of other arrests months earlier, but Fúnez h_as_ long been pinpointed by local environmental and religious leaders as the man who spearheaded the assassination. —Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for as
Word History
Etymology
Adverb, Conjunction, Pronoun, and Preposition
Middle English, from Old English eallswā likewise, just as — more at also
Noun
Latin
First Known Use
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Conjunction
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Pronoun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Preposition
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of as was before the 12th century
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“As.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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