What does “by all means” mean? and when do you use this phrase?
There are several ways to use “by all means” in everyday conversation.
- To convey permission or agreement
- Encouraging
- Emphasize the sentence by putting it in an affirmative sentence
Using “by all means” to convey permission or agreement
We can use “by all means” to reply to give someone permission politely instead of replying “Yes, Of course.”
For example:
Can I borrow this book? | Can I borrow this book? |
By all means. | Of course. |
Can I ask you a personal question? | Can I ask you a personal question? |
By all means. | Yes, go ahead. |
In these sentences, the speaker is indicating and emphasizing that they full support the action mentioned.
Encouraging or urging someone to do something
Here, “by all means” conveys a strong recommendation by emphasizing the speaker’s belief in the importance of the suggested action.
For example:
You should, by all means, pursue your dreams and never give up. |
If you have the opportunity to travel for free, by all means, take it. |
“By all means” in affirmative sentence
In an affirmative sentence, it is used as “must and/or at all costs“.
For example:
By all means, please drop by anytime. | Feel free to stop by at any time. |
If you have any question, by all means, let us know. | If you have any question, please let us know. |
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage.
They do not represent the opinions of Sesame Global English.
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