Quasi

'kweɪzaɪ, 'kwɑːzi

adjectivemediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Appearing to be; seemingly; in a manner that resembles something but is not truly that thing.

'kweɪzaɪ, 'kwɑːzi

adjectiveneutralmedium
General

Seemingly; apparently but not really; resembling.

The research revealed a quasi-experimental design.

💡 Simply: Imagine a superhero who *looks* like they have super strength, but it’s just a very clever disguise. That's 'quasi' – it's like something, but not quite.

👶 For kids: Like pretending to be something. It's like you're almost a superhero, but not really!

More Examples

2

The politician held a quasi-official meeting with the foreign delegates.

3

They created a quasi-autonomous organization to handle the issue.

How It's Used

Legal

"The court ruled the company had a quasi-contractual obligation to the employee."

Science

"The experiment resulted in a quasi-stable state."

2

In a seemingly or apparently similar manner.

'kweɪzaɪ, 'kwɑːzi

adverbneutralAdvanced
General

In a manner resembling; seemingly.

The company quasi-integrated its departments after the merger.

💡 Simply: Imagine something almost happened, like the cake *quasi* rose in the oven. It looked like it was going to, but didn't quite get there.

👶 For kids: Like almost doing something. Almost like it happened!

More Examples

2

The artist quasi-finished the painting before the deadline.

3

The data quasi-corroborated the initial hypothesis.

How It's Used

Academic

"The project quasi-succeeded in meeting its objectives."

Tip:Think of it as 'almost' or 'as if', but more sophisticated.

From Latin *quasi* meaning 'as if', 'as it were', or 'almost'.

The term *quasi* has been used in English since the late 17th century, borrowed directly from Latin to express similarity or resemblance.

Memory tip

Think of 'quasi' as a 'fake it till you make it' situation, but in a more formal context.

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written