without respect to

USAGE SUMMARY

"without respect to" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It can be used to emphasize that the speaker/writer does not consider something to be important when making a decision or forming an opinion. For example: "I will help you solve the problem, without respect to the time it takes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Worse, Congress is mandating this national labor-cost increase without respect to local economic conditions.

The New York Times

"Information flows instantaneously without respect to somewhat arbitrary borders of geography or nation state.

The New York Times

An early-Bird player is eligible for the average player salary, without respect to the cap.

The New York Times - Sports

This will occur without respect to the situation in Iraq -- whether civil war, democracy, fragmentation, new dictatorship or total anarchy.

The New York Times

Their theory was that the buy rate fairly captured all credit variables unique to individual consumers without respect to race.

The New York Times

"The U.S. gives itself the right to take any Muslim without respect to his visa," Zawahiri writes.

The New Yorker

Tillites are notoriously heterogeneous in composition: clasts appear to be randomly mixed together without respect to size or compositional stability.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The Colorado law does not mention abortion, and the state defends it as a neutral statute that operates without respect to a particular message.

The New York Times

Bird rights, which are earned by spending two or more years with the same team, and allow a player to re-sign without respect to the salary cap.

The New York Times - Sports

"We were trying to help them adapt to our society, learn their English, so they could enter the American society, without respect to their culture.

The New York Times

Lin will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Knicks can match any offer he receives, without respect to the salary cap.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "without respect to" to clearly indicate that a particular factor does not influence a decision or outcome. This adds precision to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "without respect to" interchangeably with phrases like "disrespectful to". The former indicates lack of consideration, while the latter implies rudeness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "without respect to" functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a verb or noun to indicate that something is not being considered or is not relevant in a particular situation. Ludwig AI confirms its appropriate usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

31%

Science

29%

Encyclopedias

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "without respect to" is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that something is not being considered or is irrelevant in a particular situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used across a variety of contexts, particularly in News & Media, Science, and Encyclopedias. While similar phrases like "regardless of" and "irrespective of" can be used as alternatives, it's important to distinguish its meaning from phrases like "disrespectful to". When writing, use "without respect to" to add precision and clarify the impartiality or universality of a statement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

without regard for

Highlights a lack of care or concern for something.

regardless of

Indicates that something will happen or be true in spite of something else.

irrespective of

Similar to 'regardless of', emphasizing that something is not affected by something else.

notwithstanding

Implies that something is true despite the presence of something else.

disregarding

Focuses on ignoring or paying no attention to something.

without considering

Highlights the act of not taking something into account.

not taking into account

Specifically refers to the omission of something from a calculation or decision.

ignoring

Directly states that something is being ignored.

unaffected by

Emphasizes that something is not influenced by something else.

independently of

Suggests that something operates separately and is not contingent on something else.

FAQs

How to use "without respect to" in a sentence?

Use "without respect to" to indicate that something is not affected or influenced by something else. For example, "The law applies to everyone, "without respect to" their social status."

What can I say instead of "without respect to"?

You can use alternatives like "regardless of", "irrespective of", or "notwithstanding" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "without respect to" or "without regards to"?

"Without respect to" is the correct and more commonly used phrase. "Without regards to" is less formal and less frequently used, although it conveys a similar meaning.

What's the difference between "without respect to" and "without regard for"?

"Without respect to" emphasizes a lack of consideration, while "without regard for" implies a lack of care or concern. The nuance lies in whether it's about consideration versus concern.