wherewithal

IPA/ˈweə.wɪ.ðɔːl/
KK[wˈɛrwɪðˌɔl]IPA/ˈwer.wɪ.ðɑːl/

wherewithal — noun

1. the money or personal qualities required to achieve a particular aim

1.名詞C1
釋義

the money or personal qualities required to achieve a particular aim

例句

After years of saving, the Watanabes finally had the wherewithal to buy a house near the city centre.

collocation: have the wherewithal to [infinitive]

Gabriel had the intellectual wherewithal to finish his doctorate, but the tuition fees worried him.

adjective + wherewithal: intellectual / financial / political

同義詞
  • means

    broader term — can refer to any method or resource, not just money

  • resources

    covers money, materials, time, and people; less specific about financial necessity

  • funds

    strictly financial; more concrete but narrower in scope

文法句型

the wherewithal + to-infinitive

have/lack the wherewithal to do something

用法筆記

Almost always used with the definite article 'the', even in abstract contexts. Typically followed by a to-infinitive phrase specifying the goal.

常見錯誤

❌He lacks wherewithal to start a business.
✅He lacks the wherewithal to start a business.
💡'wherewithal' is nearly always preceded by the article 'the'.