schlechterdings

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German

Etymology

17th century, from schlechter Dinge (adverbial genitive plural) + -s (adverbial suffix, here redundant). The adjective schlecht retains the older sense “plain, simple”, now otherwise restricted to the variant schlicht (see there).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃlɛçtɐˌdɪŋs/, /ˌʃlɛçtɐˈdɪŋs/
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Adverb

schlechterdings

  1. (dated) plainly, absolutely, utterly
    Synonyms: schlechthin, ganz, gänzlich, völlig, einfach, überhaupt, durchaus
    Das ist schlechterdings unmöglich.
    That’s utterly impossible.
    • 1781, Immanuel Kant, translated by J. M. D. Meiklejohn, Kritik der reinen Vernunft [The Critique of Pure Reason]‎, archived from the original on 15 December 2005:
      Wenn etwas existiert, so muß auch ein schlechterdings notwendiges Wesen existieren.
      If something exists, an absolutely necessary being must likewise exist.
    • 1909 [1901], Thomas Mann, Buddenbrooks ‎, Berlin: Deutsche Buch-Gemeinschaft, →OCLC, page 250:
      Er vermochte bei den naiven und kindlichen Ergüssen seiner Schwester schlechterdings nicht, seine Haltung zu bewahren; […]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

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