Nonetheless vs Nevertheless: Are they interchangeable?

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Dear Copy Bitch: Any thoughts on nonetheless vs nevertheless? Are they interchangeable?

–Jay S., from an email

It depends on who you talk to. Some say nonetheless and nevertheless have slightly different meanings. But the reality is most regular folks aren’t going to know the subtle difference.

And guess what? Merriam-Webster considers nonetheless and nevertheless to be synonyms, along with “however” and “even so.”

I love that Merriam-Webster has a kid’s definition if you scroll far enough down the page. So, according to the kid-friendly definition, nevertheless is an adverb that means “in spite of the facts” or, more simply, “However.”

How to use nevertheless or nonetheless

There’s a great scene in the last season of Succession when Frank is telling Cousin Greg that Greg’s name is on a piece of paper concerning the succession plan for the Roy empire. The newly deceased patriarch of the family (Logan Roy) had apparently added Greg’s name to this piece of paper. When Cousin Greg asked for details, Frank said, “You’re an addendum of ‘miscellaneous matters’ . . . in pencil . . . with a question mark.”

And Cousin Greg gave a cheerful, “Nevertheless!”

Boom! That one word, in this case, says so much. “In spite of those facts, Franky baby, my name is on that piece of paper. Game on.”

Would it have worked with “nonetheless”? Methinks so.

Here’s the thing: Even though Succession is a fictional show, the battle over the words and punctuation someone uses in their final wishes goes to show how important these seemingly little things are. And even the experts don’t always agree on meaning.

As a freelance copywriter, I’m always mindful of the words I use, but I don’t go it alone.

Here are my go-to writing and editing resources.

Note: I use affiliate links for some of them. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in.

  • Grammarly. (Affiliate link.) The free version is great at catching critical errors. I used it for about a year before upgrading to the premium tier, and I’m glad I did. You can sign up for the free version here. (If you sign up or buy via my affiliate link, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission.)
  • A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. (Amazon affiliate link link.) I have the fifth edition, which is excellent. I’m thinking about upgrading to the 10th. Hacker was incredible. She died in 2004, but her memory lives on.
  • Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. (Amazon affiliate link.) Another gem. I gave this one to Mr. Word Nerd.