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English Lexicon

Let-alone

/ˌlɛt.əˈloʊn/
conjunctionidiomCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #3450 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

1 sense
As conjunction
  1. 1

    Used to indicate that something is even less likely or suitable than something else already mentioned; much less; not to mention.

    "He doesn't even have a bicycle, let-alone a car."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the imperative verb phrase 'let alone', combining 'let' (to allow or permit) from Old English 'lætan' with the adjective/adverb 'alone'. It evolved idiomatic usage in the 19th century to introduce a stronger statement or a far less likely alternative following a negative clause.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Let-alone"?

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