Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

however

1 adverb
     
how‧ev‧er1 S2 W1
1 used when you are adding a fact or piece of information that seems surprising, or seems very different from what you have just said [= nevertheless]:
This is a cheap and simple process. However there are dangers.
an extremely unpleasant disease which is, however, easy to treat
2 used to say that it does not matter how big, good, serious etc something is because it will not change a situation in any way [= no matter how]:
You should report any incident, however minor it is.
We have to finish, however long it takes.
however much/many
I really want the car, however much it costs.
3 especially British English used to show surprise when you ask how something happens or how someone does something:
However did he get that job?
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary