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Added 9 October 2026

rather

/ˈɹɑː.ðə(ɹ)/ adverb

In Latin: potius Wiktionary

adverb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rather at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

On the contrary.
rather than disappoint the children, he did two quick tricks before he left
To some (great or small) extent.
it was rather cold
More readily or willingly.
clean it well, preferably with warm water

Origin

From Middle English rather, from Old English hraþor, comparative of hraþe (“soon, early, fast”). More at rathe. Cognate with Dutch radder (“faster”), comparative of Dutch rad (“fast; quick”), German Low German radd, ratt (“rashly; quickly; hastily”), German gerade (“even; straight; direct”). By surface analysis, rathe + -er.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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