why
why Lexical Profile
why Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
For what reason, cause, or purpose (used to introduce a direct or indirect question).
"Why did the committee decide to postpone the conference until autumn?"
For which; on account of which (used as a relative adverb to refer to a reason or cause just mentioned).
"A sudden power outage is the primary reason why the servers went offline."
• conjunction
The reason, cause, or purpose for which.
"She explained clearly why the experimental results needed further verification."
• interjection
Used to express mild surprise, hesitation, impatience, realization, or emphatic agreement.
"Why, I had no idea you were already acquainted with the visiting professor!"
• noun
A reason, cause, or explanation for something, or an inquiry into an underlying motive.
"The historians spent decades debating the whys and wherefores of the treaty's collapse."
• Rhymes for why
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'hwī' or 'hwȳ', the instrumental case of the interrogative pronoun 'hwæt' (what), ultimately tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷo- (stem of relative and interrogative pronouns).