ENGLISH
REFERENCE

yet

adv. time
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈjɛt// UK //jˈɛt// yet Archaic Dialect General-service Literary

adv. up to this time or until now. You use it to talk about something that you expect to happen but has not happened yet.

adv. up to the present time or a specified time; until now. Frequently used in negative statements and questions to indicate an expected event has not occurred.


SIMPLE

I haven't finished my homework yet.

CONTEXTUAL

The package hasn't arrived yet, but the tracking information says it should be here by this evening.

COMPLEX

While the initial results are promising, the research team has not yet secured the funding necessary to proceed with a full-scale clinical trial.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle English yet, yit, from Old English ġīet, gȳta, from Proto-West Germanic jūta, from Proto-Germanic juta (compare West Frisian jit, jitte (“yet”), Dutch ooit (“ever”), German jetzt (“now”)), compound of (1) ju (“already”, adverb), from Proto-Indo-European h₂yew-, accusative of h₂óyu (“long time”) and (2) the Proto-Germanic ta (“to, towards”), from Proto-Indo-European *do. More at aye and -th.

Etymology 2

Inherited from Middle English yeten, from Old English ġēotan (“to flow, pour”), from Proto-West Germanic geutan, from Proto-Germanic geutaną (“to flow, pour”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- (“to pour”). Cognate with Scots yat (“to pour, yet”), West Frisian jitte (“to scatter, shed, pour”), Dutch gieten (“to pour, cast, mould”), German gießen (“to pour, cast, mould”), Swedish gjuta (“to pour, cast”). Doublet of yote.

Etymology 3

Inherited from Middle English yeten, ȝeten, from Old English ġietan, from Proto-Germanic getaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰed-. More at get.

Usage

Typically placed at the end of a clause in negative sentences and questions. In formal contexts, it may appear between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

Pitfall

I yet haven't seen itI haven't seen it yetIn standard English, 'yet' usually sits at the end of the sentence rather than before the auxiliary verb.

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