• (British) enPR: sō, IPA: /səʊ/
• (America) IPA: /soʊ/

1. In order that.

   Eat your broccoli so you can have dessert.

2. With the result that; for that reason; therefore.

   I was hungry so I asked if there was any more food.

   He ate too much cake, so he fell ill.

   He wanted a book, so he went to the library.

   “I need to go to the bathroom.”
   ―“So go!”

3. (archaic) Provided that; on condition that, as long as.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act III, Scene 1,

     Speed. ‘Item: She doth talk in her sleep.’

     Launce. It’s no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk.

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 18, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], book II, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821 ↗:

     As we cal money not onely that which is true and good, but also the false; so it be currant.

   • 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica, London, p. 35,

     […] though all the windes of doctrin were let loose play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licencing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength.

   • 1743, Robert Drury (sailor), The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar, London, p. 111,

     I went away very well satisfy’d, not caring where I was sent, so it was but out of his Sight; for he now became more my Aversion than ever.

• (in order that) so that, that

• French: afin que (followed by the subjunctive), pour que (followed by the subjunctive)
• German: damit, sodass, um ... zu
• Italian: perché (followed by the subjunctive), affinché
• Portuguese: para que
• Russian: что́бы

• French: alors, donc
• German: so
• Italian: allora
• Portuguese: então
• Russian: и
• Spanish: así que

so (not comparable)

1. To the (explicitly stated) extent that.

   It was so hot outside that all the plants died.  He was so good, they hired him on the spot.

2. (informal) To the (implied) extent.

   I need a piece of cloth so long. [= this long]

   1. (informal) Very (positive clause).

      He is so good!

      • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314 ↗, page 0105 ↗:

        Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.

   2. (informal) Very (negative clause).

      It’s not so bad. [i.e. it's acceptable]

   3. (slang, chiefly, US) Very much.

      But I so want to see the Queen when she visits our town!  That is so not true!

      • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], OCLC 752825175 ↗:

        Molly the dairymaid came a little way from the rickyard, and said she would pluck the pigeon that very night after work. She was always ready to do anything for us boys; and we could never quite make out why they scolded her so for an idle hussy indoors. It seemed so unjust.

      • 1963, Mike Hawker, Ivor Raymonde (music and lyrics), Dusty Springfield (vocalist), I Only Want to Be with You (single),

        Don′t know what it is that makes me love you so, / I only know I never want to let you go.

3. In a particular manner.

   Place the napkin on the table just so. If that's what you mean, then say so; (or do so).

4. In the same manner or to the same extent as aforementioned; also.

   Just as you have the right to your free speech, so I have the right to mine.  Many people say she's the world's greatest athlete, but I don't think so.  "I can count backwards from one hundred." "So can I."

   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     "Good morrow to thee, jolly fellow," quoth Robin, "thou seemest happy this merry morn." ¶ "Ay, that am I," quoth the jolly Butcher, "and why should I not be so? Am I not hale in wind and limb? Have I not the bonniest lass in all Nottinghamshire? And lastly, am I not to be married to her on Thursday next in sweet Locksley Town?"

5. (with as) To such an extent or degree; as.

   so far as;  so long as;  so much as

• (very) really, truly, that, very
• (to a particular extent) that, this, yea
• (in a particular manner) like this, thus
• (slang: very much) really, truly, very much

• French: tellement, vraiment, si
• German: so, sehr
• Italian: tanto, veramente
• Portuguese: tão
• Russian: о́чень
• Spanish: tan

• French: aussi
• German: so
• Italian: tanto, così
• Portuguese: tão
• Russian: так
• Spanish: tan

• French: ainsi, comme ça
• German: so
• Italian: così
• Portuguese: assim
• Russian: так
• Spanish: así

• French: tellement
• Portuguese: tão
• Russian: о́чень

so

1. True, accurate.

   That is so.  You are responsible for this, is that not so?

   • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 731476803 ↗:

     “My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”

2. In that state or manner; with that attribute. A proadjective that replaces the aforementioned adjective phrase.
   • 1823, Andrew Reed (minister), Martha

     If this separation was painful to all parties, it was most so to Martha.

   • 1872, Charles Dickens, J., The Personal History of David Copperfield

     But if I had been more fit to be married, I might have made you more so too.

3. (dated, UK, slang) Homosexual.

   Is he so?

• (true) correct, right, true
• (euphemistic: homosexual) musical, one of the family, one of them, that way inclined

• German: so
• Portuguese: assim
• Russian: так

• French: le
• Russian: тако́й

1. Used after a pause for thought to introduce a new topic, question or story.

   Synonyms: look, well, see, hey

   So, let's go home.

   So, what'll you have?

   So, there was this squirrel stuck in the chimney...

2. Short for so what.

   "You park your car in front of my house every morning." — "So?"

3. Used to connect previous conversation or events to the following question.

   So how does this story end?

   So, everyone wants to know - did you win the contest or not?

4. (archaic) Be as you are; stand still; used especially to cows; also used by sailors.

• French: alors, du coup
• German: also
• Italian: allora
• Portuguese: então, aí, daí
• Russian: так
• Spanish: pues, entonces

• German: na und

1. Abbreviation of someone#English|someone.

• sb

so (plural sos)

1. (music) A syllable used in solfège to represent the fifth note of a major scale.

so (uncountable)

1. (foods) A type of dairy product, made especially in Japan between the seventh and 10th centuries, by reducing milk by boiling it.

so (plural sos)

1. Initialism of significant other#English|significant other.
2. (sports) Initialism of shut out#English|shut out.
3. (sports) Initialism of shootout#English|shootout.
4. (baseball) Initialism of strike out#English|strike out.
5. (music) Initialism of symphony orchestra#English|symphony orchestra.

1. Initialism of someone#English|someone.

1. A Mon-Khmer-speaking people of Laos and Thailand.

1. Alternative form of So.

• (GA, Canada) IPA: /soʊ/

1. Surname