whether

conjunction
wheth·er
wĕ'''th''ə(r)

Introduces a simple indirect question (without a correlative).

Example

“Whether we'll be on time I'm unsure.”

Other meanings

Indicates doubt between possibilities (usually with correlative ).
“He chose the correct answer, but whether by luck or by skill I don't know.”
Introduces a disjunctive adverbial clause qualifying the main clause (with correlative ).
“He's coming, whether you like it or not.”

Example sentences

“I'm testing whether the language detection works again.”
Tatoeba · TRANG · CC0
“I wonder whether my knowledge is incomplete.”
Tatoeba · shekitten · CC0

Word history

From Old English "hweþer".

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “whether” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.