sort of

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sort of

/ˈsɔːt‿əv/ UK
[ˈsɔːʔ əv] UK
[ˈsət‿əv] UK
/ˈsɔɹt‿əv/ US
[ˈsɔɹɾ‿əv] US

Where it comes from

From sort (noun) + of. The adverbial use is derived from the use of the term as an adjective in phrases such as “a sort of [something]”.

adjective

informal, not comparable Preceded by a (and sometimes also followed by a): of a person, thing, etc.: similar but not identical to another person, thing, etc. Sandals, bound with thongs made of boars' hide, protected the feet, and a sort of roll of thin leather was twined artificially round the legs, and, ascending above the calf, left the knees bare, like those of a Scottish Highlander.
Similar: of sorts

adverb sorta · sort-of

informal, not comparable Sometimes expressing hesitation, reluctance, etc.: to some extent but not entirely; approximately, in a way, not quite, somewhat. It sort of makes sense the way he explains it, but I still don’t really understand.
Similar: kind of, kinda, partially

Translations

Every language

adj of a person, thing, etc.: similar but not identical to another person, thing, etc.

Русский	не́что вро́де néčto vróde, своего́ ро́да svojevó róda
עברית	סוג של súg shel

adv to some extent but not entirely

Português	aproximadamente, de certa forma, mais ou menos, meio que
Français	en quelque sorte, en un sens, partiellement, plus ou moins
Deutsch	irgendwie
Ελληνικά	κάπως kápos
Русский	вро́де vróde, как бу́дто kak búdto
עברית	בְּעֵרֶךְ be'érech

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Cite this

MLA

"sort of." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sort%20of. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sort of. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sort%20of

Chicago

"sort of." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sort%20of.

BibTeX

@misc{sort_of_2026,
  title = {sort of},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sort%20of},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}