Word
insofar
Phoneticsin·so·far
US/ˈɪnsəfɑɹ/
UK/ˈɪnsəfˌɑː/
Definition
adv. to the degree or extent that something is true. You use this when you want to show that a statement only applies to a certain point.
adv. to the extent or degree that. Used to introduce a clause that limits the scope of a preceding statement.
Examples
“The plan is good insofar as it saves us money.”
“The new policy is successful insofar as it reduces wait times, though it has not yet lowered overall costs.”
“The experiment was considered a success insofar as it proved the initial hypothesis, even if the practical applications remained limited by current technological constraints.”
Examples
simple
“The plan is good insofar as it saves us money.”
contextual
“The new policy is successful insofar as it reduces wait times, though it has not yet lowered overall costs.”
complex
“The experiment was considered a success insofar as it proved the initial hypothesis, even if the practical applications remained limited by current technological constraints.”
Usage
Almost always followed by 'as'. Typically used to qualify a statement by specifying its limits.
Pitfall
in so far as
insofar as
While 'in so far as' is an accepted variant, 'insofar' is the standard modern spelling for the single-word adverb.
Real-World Examples
“The webcam is usable, insofar as it functions, but the image quality is fuzzy, and it has trouble with white balance.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/insofar