WHY

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

The cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase 'the whys and wherefores'

Synonyms:

wherefore; why

Classified under:

Nouns denoting goals

Hypernyms ("why" is a kind of...):

ground; reason (a rational motive for a belief or action)

No one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors.

(Breast Cancer, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

There are many reasons why you might have bad breath.

(Bad Breath, NIH)

Why! How can you ask the question?

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I will tell you why she is out of spirits.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Why, friend, it is easy to see that you have not worked with your hands or you would not need to ask.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But, after all, if he is satisfied, why should I put ideas in his head?

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"That's why I kept my hands offen him at the start."

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Why didn’t you tell her of her danger?

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The kind of treatment depends on why you have low blood sugar.

(Hypoglycemia, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

The explanation given as to why a dosage was adjusted.

(Dose Adjustment Reason, NCI Thesaurus)