neither

UK: /ˈniːðə^r/, /ˈnaɪðə^r/ US: /ˈniðɚ, ˈnaɪ-/ ,(nē′ᵺər, nī′-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

nei•ther /ˈniðɚ, ˈnaɪ-/   conj. 

1. (used before a noun or phrase and combined with the word nor and another noun or phrase) not either, (in reference to the noun or phrase mentioned):
   [~ + phrase + nor + phrase] Neither John nor Betty is at home; both have gone shopping.
2. (used after a negative phrase or clause;
   the subject and verb after it are reversed) nor;
   nor yet;
   no more:
   He can't be there; neither can I.

adj. [before a noun]

3. not either;
   not the one or the other:
   We'll take neither path; instead, we'll rest under this tree.

pron. [usually considered singular and used with a singular verb]

4. not either;
   not one person or thing or the other:
   Neither is to be trusted. Neither of the keys fits the lock.

Idioms

5. neither here nor there, not important or relevant:
   Whether they come is neither here nor there; what matters is that we invite them.

Usage

The expected and strict rule for subject-verb agreement for two nouns joined by neither followed by nor as a conjunction is that the noun closer to the verb decides the agreement pattern:
Neither the mayor nor the council members are willing to give in on the issue.
Neither the council members nor the mayor is willing to give in on the issue.
When neither is used as a pronoun, strict usage demands that the verb following it be singular:
Neither is likely to succeed.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

nei•ther  (nē′ᵺər, nī′-), conj. 

1. not either, as of persons or things specified (usually fol. by nor):
   Neither John nor Betty is at home.
2. nor;
   nor yet;
   no more:
   Bob can't go, and neither can I. If she doesn't want it, neither do I.

adj. 

3. not either;
   not the one or the other:
   Neither statement is true.

pron. 

4. not either;
   not one person or the other;
   not one thing or the other:
   Neither of the suggestions will do. Neither is to be trusted.

• 1150–1200; Middle English, equivalent. to ne not + either; replacing Middle English nawther, Old English nāwther, nāhwæther (nā not, no¹ + hwæther which of two; see whether)

Usage

As an adjective or pronoun meaning "not either,'' neither is usually followed by a singular verb and referred to by a singular personal pronoun:
Neither lawyer prepares her own briefs.
Neither performs his duties for reward.
When neither is followed by a prepositional phrase with a plural object, there has been, ever since the 17th century, a tendency, especially in speech and less formal writing, to use a plural verb and personal pronoun:
Neither of the guards were at their stations.
In edited writing, however, singular verbs and pronouns are more common in such constructions:
Neither of the guards was at his station.
As a correlative conjunction, neither is almost always followed by
nor,
not
or: Neither the liberals nor the conservatives had originally supported the winner.
Subjects connected by neither … nor take singular verbs and pronouns when both subjects are singular (
Neither Diane nor Nicole has her own apartment
), plural when both are plural:
Neither the Yankees nor the Dodgers got much help from their bull pens that year.
Usage guides commonly say that when a singular and a plural subject are joined by these correlative conjunctions, the noun or pronoun nearer the verb should determine the number of the verb:
Neither the mayor nor the council members have yielded on the issue.
Neither the council members nor the mayor has yielded on the issue.
Practice in this matter varies, however, and often the presence of one plural, no matter what its position, results in a plural verb.
In edited writing the construction following neither is parallel to the one following nor:
The great days of American political oratory are neither dead nor waning
(not
neither are dead nor waning
).
This sale sacrifices neither quality nor availability
(not
This sale neither sacrifices quality nor availability
).
Although some usage guides say that neither may introduce a series of no more than two, it often is used to introduce a series of three or more:
The head of that department is neither skillful nor well-prepared nor honest.
See also either. 

Pronunciation

See either. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

neither / ˈnaɪðə ˈniːðə/ determiner

1. not one nor the other (of two); not either
2. (as pronoun): neither can win

conjunction

1. (coordinating)(used preceding alternatives joined by nor) not: neither John nor Mary nor Joe went
2. another word for nor2

adverb

1. (sentence modifier)
   another word for either4

Etymology: 13th Century (literally, ne either not either): changed from Old English nāwther, from nāhwæther, from nā not + hwæther which of two; see whetherUSAGE
A verb following a compound subject that uses neither… should be in the singular if both subjects are in the singular: neither Jack nor John has done the work