Should you write ‘with regard to’ or ‘with regards to’? You might be wondering, what’s the difference between these two? We’ll go over that in this article, plus teach you how to use the phrase correctly in a sentence.
The short answer is that the correct spelling of the phrase is without the ‘s.’ ‘With regards to’ is incorrect and ungrammatical. Avoid spelling it that way.
As you’ve just learned, the correct one is ‘with regard to’ – without the ‘s.’ This prepositional phrase often confuses even native English speakers.
You might’ve heard the similar phrase ‘in regard to’ or ‘in regards to.’ The same rule applies to this phrase. The one without the ‘s’ is the correct one.
Should you say ‘in regard to’ or ‘with regard to’? Which is the better choice? Generally, it’s more acceptable to say ‘in regard to’ rather than ‘with regard to.’
The Merriam-Webster definition of the word ‘with’ is: “in opposition to: against,” “so as to be separated or detached from,” “used as a function word to indicate a participant in an action, transaction, or arrangement,” “used as a function word to indicate the object of attention, behavior, or feeling,” “in respect to: so far as concerns,” “used to indicate the object of an adverbial expression of imperative force,” and “over, on."
Other definitions of the word include: “in the performance, operation or use of,” “used as a function word to indicate the object of a statement of comparison or equality,” “used as a function word to express agreement or sympathy,” “on the side of: for,” “as well as,” “used as a function word to indicate combination, accompaniment, presence, or addition,” “inclusive of,” “in the judgment or estimation of,” “in or according to the experience or practice of,” “used as a function word to indicate the means, cause, agent, or instrumentality,” “the direct act of,” “used as a function word to indicate the manner of action,” “used as a function word to indicate an attendant fact or circumstance,” and “used as a function word to indicate a result attendant on a specified action.”
It’s also defined as: “in possession of: having,” “in the possession or care of,” “characterized or distinguished by,” “used as a function word to indicate a close association in time,” and “in proportion to,” “in spite of: notwithstanding,” “except for,” and “in the direction of.”
Some synonyms of the word include:
The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘regard’ is: “a protective interest: care,” “attention, consideration,” “a feeling of respect and affection: esteem,” “regards: friendly greetings implying such feeling,” “the worth or estimation in which something or someone is held,” “an aspect to be taken into consideration: respect,” “look, gaze,” “a basis of action or opinion: motive,” “appearance,” and “intention.”
The verb form of the word can be defined as: “to consider and appraise usually from a particular point of view,” “to pay attention to: take into consideration or account,” “to look at,” “to show respect or consideration for,” “to hold in high esteem,” and “to relate to.”
It also means: “to look attentively: gaze” and “to pay attention to: heed.”
A few synonyms of the word include:
Noun
Verb
The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘to’ is: “used as a function word to indicate movement or an action or condition suggestive of movement toward a place, person, or thing reached,” “used as a function word to indicate a direction,” “used as a function word to indicate contact or proximity,” “used as a function word to indicate the place or point that is the far limit,” “used as a function word to indicate purpose, intention, tendency, result, or end,” “used as a function word to indicate position or relation in time: such as before, until,” “used as a function word to indicate addition, attachment, connection, belonging, possession, accompaniment, or response,” and “used as a function word to indicate the extent or degree (as of completeness or accuracy).”
It’s also defined as: “used as a function word to indicate a relation to one that serves as a standard,” “used as a function word to indicate the application of an adjective or noun,” and “used as a function word to indicate that the following verb is an infinitive.”
As an adverb, it can be defined as: “used as a function word to indicate the direction toward,” “close to the wind,” “to a state of consciousness or awareness,” or “into contact, especially with the frame > used of a door or window,” and “at hand: by.”
Synonyms of the word include:
The phrase ‘with regard to’ means: “as in about,” “having to do with,” “concerning,” “with respect to,” “on,” “of.”
Synonyms of the phrase include:
Now, let’s see how to use the phrase correctly in a sentence.
To recap, you’ve learned that the correct spelling of the phrase is ‘with regard to.’ Avoid spelling it with the ‘s.’
If you ever forget whether to include the ‘s,’ you can always come back for a quick visit to brush up on what you’ve learned.
We’ve also got a whole library of content dedicated to explaining confusing words and phrases in English that you might come across in your everyday life.
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