12 Formal Synonyms For "Having Said That"

“Having said that” is a common phrase used when you want to contradict the things you said in the previous sentence. There are some better options out there if you want to write in more formal ways, and this article will explore some of those options.

The preferred versions are “with that said,” “nonetheless,” and “despite that.” These phrases work well to contradict the point we just made, but they are also polite and respectful enough to work well in a business or formal environment. They all mean the same thing too.

With That Said

“With that said” is the best formal choice to replace “having said that.” The phrases are almost identical since “that” and “said” are present in both. The only difference is that “with that said” allows us to be more snappy with our contradiction.

I don’t want to be here. With that said, I’m here now, so I’ll have to listen to all of your problems.
I will let you go in just a second. With that said, I still think there are some things we need to discuss about your behavior.
I can’t talk about these things with you. With that said, I’m sure there are other people in this office that might be able to help.

Nonetheless

“Nonetheless” is a one-word option that contradicts or counters the previous argument made. It is always written as one word (despite it being made of three words).

I want you to find out more about him. Nonetheless, I know you won’t be up for the task I’ve set you.

I have a few things that need doing. Nonetheless, I’ll still be around the office if any of you need to talk to me.

I can be there tomorrow at three. Nonetheless, I won’t show up unless you give me a good reason to get out there.

Despite That

“Despite that” is another great formal choice to remove the meaning of your first sentence. Often, we use it to present an idea in one sentence. The “despite that” sentence then comes after it and allows us to cancel out whatever we just said.

I think it’s time you listened to what’s going on. Despite that, I’m not sure you’re ready to find out about it.
I want to know what happened. Despite that, they’re still not letting me in on any of it.
I can’t let you in. Despite that, I can at least encourage you to go around to the other entrance to see what you can do.

In Spite Of That

“In spite of that” is another good way to set up a negative sentence before showing that you disagree with the things you said in it. It’s identical to “despite that,” and many people prefer the simpler “despite that” because it gets to the point quicker.

I don’t want you there tomorrow. In spite of that, I know you’re going to come anyway, and I’ve come to terms with that.
I will not have much left when this is done. In spite of that, I know I’ll keep working until I’ve sorted everything out.
I want to like you, but I can’t. In spite of that, I’m going to give you more time to prove yourself to me, so show me you’re worth it.

At The Same Time

“At the same time” shows how two contradicting ideas can work together. This allows us to say one thing and then contradict it with a sentence that allows us to go against whatever was mentioned.

At the same time, I really can’t find a way to justify including this in our salaries.
I like you, but at the same time, I think you’re making it much more difficult for any of us to get our jobs done correctly.
I need to know what they said. At the same time, I think it’s better if I don’t know because I know I won’t like it.

Be That As It May

“Be that as it may” is a great formal choice. We mainly use it when we’ve used a negative sentence (including a word like “not” before the verb).

Once this is done, “be that as it may” shows that we’re still trying to do a positive thing even though we have presented a negative idea.

Be that as it may, I still need you to resign by the end of the week. It’s the only way around this blunder.
I will not be here to help you. Be that as it may, I still wish you all the best when you finally leave.

He can do it on his own. Be that as it may, I think you should still come in to give him a hand.

For All That

“For all that” is another good formal option. This phrase again allows us to contradict something we said before. It’s not the most common option, and not many people use it because it doesn’t always seem to work appropriately in the context of the sentence.

It’s important that we work together now. For all that, we still have a lot of hurdles to overcome that I’m worried we won’t manage.
For all that, there are some things that are best left unsaid. I’m sorry if that doesn’t give you all the closure you’re looking for out of this.

For all that, I’m not going to be your manager anymore. I know I said I’d stick around forever, but it’s just not viable for me.

Just The Same

“Just the same” shows that something we previously said does not impact the current statement. We use “same” here to show that nothing has been changed about our previous decisions or choices.

“Just” is usually kept out of formal writing. However, “Just the same” is a specific idiom that many people use formally to show that they have not changed their opinions about certain things.

It’s going to get difficult to do this going forward. Just the same, I want you all to put in the same amount of effort as you’re giving me now.
I know it’s fun for you. Just the same, I can’t have you doing this when the CEO gets here. It’s not going to fly.

I want to hire new people. Just the same, I don’t think I can justify adding anyone else to the team with the limited money available.

On The Contrary

“On the contrary” is a truly contradicting statement. This works best when something we have said completely contradicts what we intend. We can do this deliberately when we want to show that one thing is not going to happen over another.

You should be careful using this one, though. A lot of people think it can sound quite leading when you make a false statement, only to follow it with “on the contrary.” It completely removes the point of the original statement, which some people disagree with.

I’m not going to help you understand this project. On the contrary, I’m going to let you all figure it out yourself.
I will not be giving you any raises this year. On the contrary, none of you have earned one, so I will be keeping them for myself.

I will never have enough time to do this. On the contrary, I can only think of two good ways to fit it in.

All Things Considered

“All things considered” is great because it allows us to “consider” everything that was previously mentioned. If none of it relates to or impacts the things in the following sentence, then “all things considered” is a good way to sum it up.

All things considered, I think this was a successful business trip. I’m glad you all had a chance to come along to it.
With all things considered, we must start to sign up for these events. We need to show that we care about them.
All things considered, I think this could have gone better. I’m sorry that nobody here expected to have such a bad time with it today.

However

“However” is a simple word we can use to replace “having said that.” It’s one of the most common words in English for this context, so it makes sense that it works well for formal situations.

It still allows us to contradict a previous point. It’s best at the start of a new sentence, just like everything else in this article.

However, I did not think it was appropriate for any of you to say those things. That’s why you’re all going to receive a punishment.
I like what you did here. However, I think it’s best if you avoid doing it in the future. I don’t want the boss to get upset.
I want to learn more about it. However, I don’t think you’re the best teacher in this situation. I’m sorry, but I don’t trust you.

Though

“Though” and “however” are synonymous. We can use “though” to show that we are contradicting something we previously said. Unlike “however,” it doesn’t need to start a new sentence. Instead, it can be part of a secondary clause in the original one.

I want to know what he said, though I don’t think anyone around he is going to have the heart to tell me.
I heard all about it, though I thought it was supposed to be a secret. I suppose I should have known you would find out.
I knew it, though I wasn’t going to mention it to anyone. I guess I’m glad that I have someone to talk to about it now.

Martin Lassen

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.