Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Like vs. as: Usage Guide
Like has been used as a conjunction in ways similar to as since the 14th century. In the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries it was used in serious literature, but not often; in the 17th and 18th centuries it grew more frequent but less literary. It became markedly more frequent in literary use again in the 19th century. By mid-century it was coming under critical fire, but not from grammarians, oddly enough, who were wrangling over whether it could be called a preposition or not. There is no doubt that, after 600 years of use, conjunctive like is firmly established. It has been used by many prestigious literary figures of the past, though perhaps not in their most elevated works; in modern use it may be found in literature, journalism, and scholarly writing. While the present objection to it is perhaps more heated than rational, someone writing in a formal prose style may well prefer to use as, as if, such as, or an entirely different construction instead.
Max Beerbohm
Synonyms
Examples of as in a Sentence
Caleb Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
West-northwest wind 9-14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2024
The sole ownership of Las Vegas allows Liberty to use the event as a testing ground for ways to grow the business.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 23 Nov. 2024
SI.com, 26 May 2018
CHICAGO — As was his normal postgame ritual, Jimmy Butler peered into his tidy locker stall and methodically finished dressing as a half-circle of reporters and television cameras, at least six deep, impatiently pressed up behind him.
—Jeff Arnold, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2017
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Dictionary Entries Near as
Cite this Entry
“As.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
as
1 of 5 adverb
as
2 of 5 conjunctionas
3 of 5 pronounas
4 of 5 prepositionas-
5 of 5
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