Definition of "that"

that

/ˈðæt/

conjunction
1. Introducing a clause that is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
2. Introducing a subordinate clause expressing a reason or cause: because, in that.
3. (dated) Introducing a subordinate clause that expresses an aim, purpose, or goal ("final"), and usually contains the auxiliaries may, might, or should: so, so that.
  Quotations
  Bassanio: Be assured you may. / Shylock: I will be assured I may; and, that I may be assured, I will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio?
  c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii]
  The hungry judges soon the sentence sign, and wretches hang that jurymen may dine.
  1712 May, [Alexander Pope], “The Rape of the Locke. An Heroi-comical Poem.”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], canto I, page 360
  Ellen's mamma was going out to pay a visit, but she left the children a large piece of rich plumcake to divide between them, that they might play at making feasts.
  1833, Parley's Magazine, volume 1, page 23
  That he might ascertain whether any of the cloths of ancient Egypt were made of hemp, M. Dutrochet has examined with the microscope the weavable filaments of this last vegetable.
  1837, The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, volume 23, page 222
  […] A creature might forget to weep, who bore / Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby! / But love me for love's sake, that evermore / Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
  c. 1845-46, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Sonnets from the Portuguese”, in If Thou Must Love Me‎
  "In the olden days people had a stronger belief in all kinds of witchery; now they pretend not to believe in it, that they may be looked upon as sensible and educated people, as you say."
  1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 156
  Now one day of the days, […] the Sultan cast his eyes upon her as she stood before him, and said to his Grand Wazir, "This be the very woman whereof I spake to thee yesterday, so do thou straightway bring her before me, that I may see what be her suit and fulfil her need."
  1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 547”, in Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […]
  Jesus died that we might live "through" Him.
  2009, Dallas R. Burdette, Biblical Preaching and Teaching, page 340
4. Introducing — especially, but not exclusively, with an antecedent like so or such — a subordinate clause expressing a result, consequence, or effect.
  Quotations
  My dad apparently always said that no child of his would ever be harassed for its poor eating habits, and then I arrived, and I was so disgusting that he revised his opinion.
  2008 May 23, Zoe Williams, The Guardian
5. (archaic or poetic) Introducing a premise or supposition for consideration: seeing as; inasmuch as; given that; as would appear from the fact that.
  Quotations
  What, are you mad, that you do reason so?
  c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)
  In short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
  1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […]
  “She must be wonderfully fascinating,” said Mrs Morel, with scathing satire. “She must be very wonderful, that you should trail eight miles, backward and forward, after eight o’clock at night.”
  c. 1911, D.H. Lawrence, third draft of what became Sons and Lovers, in Helen Baron (editor), Paul Morel, Cambridge University Press (2003), page 234
6. Introducing a subordinate clause modifying an adverb.
  Quotations
  " […] I will go anywhere that she may wish if she will go with me,"
  c. 1867, Anthony Trollope, The Claverings‎
7. (archaic or poetic) Introducing an exclamation expressing a desire or wish.
  Quotations
  "Would that my rage and wrath would somehow stir me, / Here as I am, to cut off thy raw flesh / And eat it."
  1864, T. S. Norgate's translation of the Iliad, book 10, page 613
  "Oh, that they would be wise, and would understand, […] "
  1892, Paolo Segneri, The Manna of the Soul: Meditations for Each Day of the Year
8. Introducing an exclamation expressing a strong emotion such as sadness or surprise.
  Quotations
  I pray thee, mark me — that a brother should / Be so perfidious! —
  1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene ii], page 4
determiner
plural those
1. The (thing, person, idea, etc) indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote physically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.
  Quotations
  The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.
  1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd.
  She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry.
  1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest
  ‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’
  1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 20, in The China Governess
  The gym is across from the lounge. It’s next to the mailroom. Go that way. — Thanks, Pete! — No, Anna! Not that way! Go that way! Audio (US)(file)
  2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
pronoun
plural those
1. (demonstrative) The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action, or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.
  Quotations
  To be, or not to be: that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?
  c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene i]
  [He] was qualified and fitted, both intellectually and morally, — and that to an exceptional extent — to be the Head […]
  1888 July, The Original Secession Magazine, page 766
  "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."
  1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919
  However […], the British were unable to do much about it short of going to war with St Petersburg, and that the government was unwilling to do.
  1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 310
  I've never seen someone beaten unconscious before. That’s lesbians for you.
  2005, Joey Comeau, Lockpick Pornography (Loose Teeth Press)
2. The known (thing); used to refer to something just said.
3. (demonstrative) The aforementioned quality or proposition; used to emphatically affirm or deny a previous statement or question.
  Quotations
  "She is very honourable," said Mrs. Thompson, solemnly. "Yes, one sees she is that, and so simple-minded."
  1910, Helen Granville-Barker, An Apprentice to Truth, page 214
4. (relative) (plural that) Which, who; representing a subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition.
  Quotations
  By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me.
  c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iv]
  His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott.
  2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph
  Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.
  2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845
5. (colloquial) Used in place of relative adverbs such as where or when; often omitted.
6. (Northern England, Manchester, Liverpool) Clipping of that is; used to reinforce the preceding assertion or statement.
adverb
not comparable
1. (degree) To a given extent or degree.
2. (degree) To a great extent or degree; very, particularly (in negative constructions).
3. (informal, Britain, Australia) To such an extent; so. (in positive constructions).
  Quotations
  This was carried with that little noise that for a good space the vigilant Bishop was not awak'd with it.
  1693, John Hacket, “Scrinia reserata: a Memorial offered to the great Deservings of John Williams”, in Archbishop Williams
noun
plural thats
1. (philosophy) Something being indicated that is there; one of those.
  Quotations
  As such, they do not have the ontological weight of "Being" and "Not-being," but serve simply as an explanatory vocabulary necessary to describe our world of thises and thats.
  1998, David L. Hall, Roger T. Ames, Thinking from the Han, page 247

Definition of "that"

that

conjunction

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determiner

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adverb

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noun

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