BOTH definition: 1. (referring to) two people or things together: 2. (referring to) two people or things together….

Understanding the Context

Learn more. The meaning of BOTH is the one as well as the other. How to use both in a sentence. Use “both” to refer to two people or things.

Key Insights

“Both” and “both of” can sometimes be used interchangeably, but not always. Use parallel structure with “both–and.” No commas are needed around “both.” BOTH definition: one and the other; two together. See examples of both used in a sentence. You use both when you are referring to two people or things and saying that something is true about each of them. She cried out in fear and flung both arms up to protect her face.

Final Thoughts

Put both vegetables into a bowl and crush with a potato masher. Both is also a quantifier. When you use the word both, you're always talking about two of something. If you say you're having dinner with both of your brothers this weekend, it means you have two brothers. Both means two of the two things. We don’t use the before both.

Both can also be used after pronouns as objects. As a subject or object, we may also use both of + you/us/them with personal pronouns. Both as a pronoun refers to a noun it replaces. It refers to the two people or things it replaces.