Definition

1. Determiner & Pronoun:

   • Used to refer to not one and not the other of two people or things; not either.
   • When used as a pronoun, it means "not the one nor the other of two people or things."

2. Adverb:

   • Used to show that a negative statement also applies to another person or thing; "also not."

3. Conjunction:

   • Used before a series of words or phrases to introduce a further negative statement, typically after a negative clause; "and not."

Usage

• As a Determiner/Pronoun: "Neither" is used with a singular noun or alone to mean "not one or the other of two."
  • Neither answer is correct. (Determiner)
  • Neither of the answers is correct. (Pronoun)
• As an Adverb: It is used to agree with a negative statement made by someone else.
  • "I don't like coffee." "Neither do I."
• As a Conjunction: It is used in the correlative pair "neither... nor..." to connect two or more negative alternatives.
  • She is neither happy nor sad.

Examples

• Determiner/Pronoun:
  • Neither option is appealing.
  • Neither of the books was interesting.
• Adverb:
  • "I haven't been there." "Neither have I."
• Conjunction (with 'nor'):
  • He neither called nor texted.
  • The movie was neither funny nor exciting.

Advanced Usage

• "Neither" at the beginning of a sentence: Used to introduce a clause agreeing with a previous negative statement.
  • "I can't understand this." "Neither can I."
• Inversion after "neither": When "neither" begins a clause, the subject and auxiliary verb are often inverted.
  • Neither did she know the answer. (Compare: She didn't know the answer either.)
• Formal usage without 'nor': In very formal or literary contexts, "neither" can sometimes stand alone to mean "and also not."
  • He did not go, and neither did he send a message.

Variants and Related Words

• Either: Used in affirmative or interrogative contexts to mean "one or the other of two."
  • You can choose either book.
• Nor: A conjunction used, especially with "neither," to introduce the second or further of two or more negative alternatives.
  • It is neither here nor there. (Idiom meaning "irrelevant.")

Synonyms

• Not either: The most direct synonym.
• None of the two: A more explicit phrase.
• Also not: A synonym for its adverbial use.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Neither" is not typically used in phrasal verbs. Its primary functions are as a determiner, pronoun, adverb, and conjunction.)

Related Idioms

• Neither here nor there: Not important or relevant.
  • His opinion on the matter is neither here nor there.
• Neither fish nor fowl: Not clearly one thing or another; difficult to classify.
  • The new design is neither fish nor fowl—it's not modern or classic.
• Neither rhyme nor reason: No logical or sensible pattern or explanation.
  • There was neither rhyme nor reason to his decision.

Adjective

1. not either; not one or the other