should

English Online Dictionary. What means should‎? What does should mean?

English

Alternative forms

• shou'd (obsolete)
• shoulde (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English scholde, from Old English sċolde, first and third person preterite form of sċulan (“should,” “have to,” “to owe”), the ancestor of English shall. By surface analysis, shall +‎ -ed. Cognate with German sollte, Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰 (skulda). Related to Middle English shild and shildy.

The loss of /l/ in this word is probably due to weak stress, as in would and could (it is not original in the latter).

Pronunciation

• (stressed form) IPA^(key): /ʃʊd/
• (unstressed form) IPA^(key): /ʃəd/
• Rhymes: -ʊd
• (Early Modern) IPA^(key): /ʃuːld/, (originally unstressed) /ʃʊ(l)d/

Verb

should

1. (auxiliary) Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.
   1. Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').

   2. Used to give advice or opinion that an action is, or would have been, beneficial or desirable.

   3. (informal) With verbs such as 'see' or 'hear', usually in the second person, used to point out something remarkable in either a good or bad way.

      You should see his new apartment. It's like a palace!

      If you think her piano playing is bad, you should hear her sing!

   4. In questions, asks what is correct, proper, desirable, etc.
2. (auxiliary) Ought to; expressing expectation.
   1. Indicates that something is expected to have happened or to be the case now.

   2. Will be likely to (become or do something); indicates a degree of possibility or probability that the stated thing will happen or be true in the future.

4. (auxiliary, subjunctive) Used to form a variant of the present subjunctive, expressing a state or action that is hypothetical, potential, mandated, etc.
   • 2008, Peter Michael Higgins, Number Story: From Counting to Cryptography, page 141 (Google Books view):

     He is noted for coming up with his 'wager', in which he argued that he was prepared to believe in God on the grounds that he had nothing to lose if he was wrong, and everything to gain should he be right.

5. (auxiliary) simple past of shall
7. (auxiliary) An alternative to would with first person subjects.
   1. (formal or literary) Used to express a conditional outcome.
   2. (formal or literary outside certain combinations such as with 'imagine' or 'think') Used to impart a tentative, conjectural or polite nuance.
   3. Used to express what the speaker would do in another person's situation, as a means of giving a suggestion or recommendation.

      It's disgraceful the way that they've treated you. I should write and complain.

Usage notes

• Should has, as its most common meaning in modern English, the sense ought as in I should go, but I don't see how I can. However, the older sense as the subjunctive of the future indicative auxiliary, shall, is often used with I or we to indicate a more polite form than would: I should like to go, but I can't; Were he to arrive, I should be pleased. In much speech and writing, should has been replaced by would in contexts of this kind, but it remains in conditional subjunctives: should (never would) I go, I should wear my new dress; should he remain, he would be granted asylum.
• (obligation): Contrast with stronger auxiliary verb must, which indicates that the speaker believes the subject is required to execute the predicate, or have to which indicates that the speaker believes the subject is required to execute, although speaker might disagree with the principle, and should which is merely advice – take it or leave it.
• (likely): Possibility, or probability. Contrast with stronger auxiliary verb in the affirmative must, and negative sense can't, which indicate that there is a logical imperative certainty that the subject will (or will not) execute the predicate. Also compare with the weaker might, which indicates at most a 50/50 possibility, or probability.
• (subjunctive): In American English, the present subjunctive is commonly used instead of should (e.g., "suggest that he stay"), while in British English, should is commoner (e.g., "suggest that he should stay"). Both forms of English, however, sometimes use should in certain conditionals (e.g., "If I should be in trouble, I shall call you"). Furthermore, should is not used in independent clauses with the present subjunctive, many of which clauses are now fossilized expressions (e.g., "Peace be with you", "suffice it to say"; never should be or should suffice).
• See the usage notes at shall.

Synonyms

• (obligation): ought

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “obligation”): shouldn't

Derived terms

Related terms

• shouldst (archaic second-person singular of should)
• should've, shoulda (contraction of auxiliary phrase should have)
• one should be so lucky
• one should live so long

Translations

Noun

should (plural shoulds)

1. Something that ought to be the case as opposed to already being the case.

Verb

should (third-person singular simple present shoulds, present participle shoulding, simple past and past participle shoulded)

1. To make a statement of what ought to be true, as opposed to reality. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

References

See also

• precatory
• Appendix:English modal verbs
• Appendix:English tag questions
• Auxiliary verb on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Modal verb on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Shall and will on Wikipedia.Wikipedia