Learn English – Difference between nevertheless and nonetheless

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I am never quite sure whether to use nevertheless or nonetheless; they seem almost synonymous to me, but I think I might be missing a subtle distinction. Is there a difference, and if so, how do I determine which is right in different circumstances?

I am specifically thinking of sentences such as these:

  • I am busy Saturday; nevertheless I will come to your party anyway.
  • I am busy Saturday; nonetheless I will come to your party anyway.

There is a question here that deals with a specific idiomatic usage, but I was thinking of the general type of usage, as given in the party example above.

Best Answer

The regular MW dictionary entry for nonetheless actually just says "nevertheless," and I'm not personally familiar with a situation when you could justifiably use one but not the other.

According to merriam-webster.com's Learner's Dictionary, they have the same definition as well:

in spite of what has just been said

…although nonetheless is marked as somewhat formal, while nevertheless is not.

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