Can you tell me the meaning of this sentence? "Its diplomatic and moral authority shapes southern Africa, for worse as well as better"
-
It seems like perfectly clear English to me: it does both good and bad things in southern Africa. (The bit you quoted doesn't tell us what "it" is, just that it has diplomatic and moral authority.) What's your trouble?– JPmiaouDec 15, 2017 at 21:46
1 Answer
It sounds like an alternative to "For better or worse" and for that reason I would interpret it the same way (though we are short on context here). I would say that this form emphasizes the likelihood of a negative influence, while "For better or worse" seems to lack any emphasis.