shew: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Historical/Archaic (extremely rare in contemporary usage except in specific contexts like biblical/legal texts)Archaic, formal, biblical, legal, dialectal
Quick answer
What does “shew” mean?
To show or make something visible.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To show or make something visible; to demonstrate or prove.
To present evidence or proof; to make apparent through demonstration; an archaic or dialectal variant of 'show'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more persistent in some UK legal/formal contexts and certain British dialects (e.g., Northern English, Scottish). In US usage, it is almost exclusively historical/biblical.
Connotations
UK: antiquated, formal, sometimes dialectal. US: exclusively archaic, biblical, or intentionally old-fashioned.
Frequency
Virtually absent from contemporary American English outside of direct quotations. Marginally more present in UK historical or ceremonial legal documents.
Grammar
How to Use “shew” in a Sentence
NP shew NP (to NP)NP shew that-clauseNP shew NP to be ADJVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “shew” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The ancient manuscript shews the route to the castle.
- He did shew great courage in the face of danger.
- The evidence shews beyond doubt.
American English
- The King James Bible sheweth the Lord's mercy.
- The document shews the founding principles.
- They shewed us the old family portraits.
adverb
British English
- (No modern adverb use)
- (No modern adverb use)
- (No modern adverb use)
American English
- (No modern adverb use)
- (No modern adverb use)
- (No modern adverb use)
adjective
British English
- (No modern adjective use)
- (No modern adjective use)
- (No modern adjective use)
American English
- (No modern adjective use)
- (No modern adjective use)
- (No modern adjective use)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Only in historical text analysis or theology.
Everyday
Not used; would be marked as archaic or humorous.
Technical
Not used in modern technical writing.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “shew”
- Using 'shew' in modern writing intending 'show'.
- Mispronouncing it as /ʃuː/ (like 'shoe').
- Assuming it has a different meaning from 'show'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'shew' is an archaic spelling variant of 'show'. They are historically the same word with identical meanings.
No. Unless you are intentionally mimicking archaic style (e.g., historical fiction, legal ceremonial language, or quoting older texts), you should always use the modern spelling 'show'.
It is pronounced identically to the modern word 'show' (/ʃəʊ/ in British English, /ʃoʊ/ in American English).
It persists as a non-standard variant in some Northern English and Scottish dialects, but even there it is receding. It is not part of standard modern English.
To show or make something visible.
Shew is usually archaic, formal, biblical, legal, dialectal in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Shew forth”
- “Shew oneself”
- “Shew mercy”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SHEW is an old-fashioned SHOW; both have the same four letters, just rearranged.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING (to shew is to make something visible to the mind)
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'shew' most likely to be encountered today?