by way of

English

Alternative forms

• by the way of

Phrase

by way of

1. By the route of.

   Synonyms: through, via

   From Shakespeare to Milton by way of the English Bible, our language has been shaped by humanist ideas.

   • 1878, Thomas Hardy, chapter 1, in The Return of the Native:

     Intensity was more usually reached by way of the solemn than by way of the brilliant.

   • 1914, Saki (pseudonym; H. H. Munro), “The Boar-Pig”, in Beasts and Super-Beasts:

     “I always go over the wall, by way of the plum tree,” said Matilda.

   • 1950 April, R. A. H. Weight, “They Passed by My Window”, in Railway Magazine, pages 258-259:

     In 1919, demobilisation specials from Purfleet, Essex, to the North, usually made up of nondescript, almost paintless or grey stock which had seen long wartime service, chalked with slogans, were worked through by way of Bromley and the North London line […] .

   • 2003, Kate Kondell (screenplay), Legally Blonde 2 (motion picture), spoken by Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon):

     My name is Elle Woods, Boston by way of Bel Air.

2. For the purpose of; as a means of; as an instance of; as a type or form of.

   By way of apology, he tried to be gallant.

   By way of qualification, I should point out that…

   • 1731, Jonathan Swift, On the Death of Dr. Swift:

     Thus much may serve by way of proem: / Proceed we therefore to our poem.

   • 1849, Edgar Allan Poe, Hop-Frog:

     Why they hesitated I never could tell, unless they did it by way of a joke.

   • 1949 November and December, “Notes and News: Festiniog and Welsh Highland Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 409:

     By way of contrast there is an air of finality about the closure of the Welsh Highland Railway.

   • 1968, Joan Didion, “On Keeping a Notebook”, in Slouching Towards Bethlehem:

     “So what's new in the whiskey business?” one of the fat men finally says by way of welcome, […]

   • 2023 December 13, Robin Leleux, “Restored... and a richly deserved award: Cullybackey”, in RAIL, number 998, page 39:

     Considerable work had to be done by way of repairs and replacement of bricks and woodwork (doors, floors, skirtings and panelling) where these were too far gone to be salvageable, including reprofiling to match originals.

3. (UK, often followed by being) Possessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of; in the state or condition of.
   • 1898, H. G. Wells, “The Trouble of Life”, in Certain Personal Matters, pages 16–17:

     Thoreau, too, come to think of it, was, by way of being a prophet, a pioneer in this Emancipation of Man from Bothery.

   • 1921, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Springtime:

     "From what you tell me, he's by way of being the brains of the family."

Derived terms

• by way of example

Translations

by the route of, through, via

Finnish: kautta (fi) French: en passant par, par (fr), via (fr) Italian: tramite (it), per via di, per mezzo di, mediante (it), mercè Polish: drogą

for the purpose of, as a means or instance of

Finnish: kautta (fi), avulla (fi), tarkoitukseen French: en guise de (fr), par le biais de, à titre de (fr), en forme de (fr) German: zu (de) Polish: w ramach (pl) Spanish: a modo de, en concepto de

possessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of

French: par le fait de, du fait de, pas loin de (fr)

See also

• by dint of
• by means of
• in the way of
• beway

Further reading

• “by way of”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.