if it were not for

== English == === Alternative forms === were it not for if it had not been for === Prepositional phrase === if it were not for If a certain condition were not met; used to indicate that a particular person, event, etc. prevented a certain outcome. === Further reading === “were it not for”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022. “if it were not for”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. “if it were not for” (US) / “if it were not for” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.