Meaning of whys and wherefores | Babel Free

Definitions

The reasons or motivations for a fact, action, or decision, especially the complete set of such reasons or motivations.

plural, plural-normally

Equivalents

Examples

“I can no more tell⟳ you the whys and wherefores of myself than I can lift⟳ myself up by the waistband and carry⟳ myself into the next county.”

“[I]f she noticed anything odd or out of place⟳ she would never rest⟳ until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.”

“Of the hundreds of thousands who served in Vietnam, most still do not understand⟳ the whys and wherefores of our involvement.”

CEFR level