that is to say
Definition
- Adverb (Conjunctive Adverb / Phrase):
- Used to introduce a clarification, rephrasing, or more precise explanation of what has just been stated. It signals that the speaker is about to restate the same idea in different, often simpler or more specific, terms.
Usage
- Position in a Sentence: Typically used after a statement, followed by a comma. It introduces the clarifying phrase or clause.
- Function: It connects two parts of a sentence where the second part explains the first. It is formal and academic in tone.
Examples
- Basic Usage:
Advanced Usage
- Introducing a List or Specific Examples: Can be used to specify what a general term refers to.
- Correcting or Narrowing a Statement: Used to make a previous statement more accurate.
Variants and Related Words
- In other words: A very common synonym with identical function.
- Namely: Used to introduce specific items that illustrate a general statement. (More specific than "that is to say").
- i.e. (id est): The Latin abbreviation for "that is," used identically in written English.
- To put it another way: A more conversational variant.
- Viz. (videlicet): A formal, chiefly written abbreviation meaning "namely" or "that is to say."
Synonyms
- In other words
- i.e.
- Namely (in specific contexts)
- Specifically
- To rephrase
Related Phrases / Idioms
(Note: "That is to say" is itself a fixed phrase and does not have phrasal verb forms or common idiomatic variations beyond its core meaning.) - Which is to say: A slightly less formal variant with the same meaning. It was a debacle, which is to say, a complete failure.
Adverb
-
as follows
