Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

by left

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.58 in modern English

Syllables: by left
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Done without abiding by proper rules and procedures, as it may be more convenient to ignore them entirely, bend the rules or use a workaround.

Slang

prep_phrase

Used to refute a previous statement of by right by demonstrating that something is, in practice, done in an unofficial manner, without much regard for proper procedures and protocols.

Humorous; Slang

Example Sentences

"By right, we’re supposed to lock the room every night. By left, we only do it every Friday since no-one bothers to check."

Etymology

By analogy with by right.

Usage

Inflected Forms

more by left (comparative) most by left (superlative)

Questions

What does by left mean?: Done without abiding by proper rules and procedures, as it may be more convenient to ignore them entirely, bend the rules or use a workaround.
Where does by left come from?: By analogy with by right.

How to pronounce by left

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “by left”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “by left”.
Repeat and practice — Say “by left” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.