were it not for

A form of if it were not for — If a certain condition were not met; used to indicate that a particular person, event, etc. prevented a certain outcome.

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. alternativeAlternative form of if it were not for.
Cite this entry
APA

were it not for. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/were%20it%20not%20for

MLA

“were it not for.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/were%20it%20not%20for. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “were it not for,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/were%20it%20not%20for.

Source: were it not for on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.