in spite of - despite

◊ 'in spite of'

You use in spite of when you are mentioning circumstances which surprisingly do not prevent something from happening or being true. Note that the spelling is in spite of, not `inspite of'.

The morning air was still clear and fresh, in spite of all the traffic and the crowd.

In spite of poor health, my father was always cheerful.

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◊ WARNING

You do not use in spite of to say that something will not be affected by any circumstances. You do not say, for example, `Everyone can take part, in spite of their ability'. You say `Everyone can take part regardless of their ability' or `Everyone can take part whatever their ability'.

If they are determined to strike, they will do so regardless of what the law says.

A winning team will always attract support, whatever the facilities provided.

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You also do not use in spite of as a conjunction. You do not say, for example, `In spite of we protested, they took him away'. You say `Although we protested, they took him away'.

Although he was late, he stopped to buy a sandwich.

Gretchen kept her coat on, although it was warm in the room.

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◊ 'despite'

Despite means the same as in spite of. You do not use `of' after despite.

Despite the differences in their ages they were close friends.

The cost of public services has risen steeply despite a general decline in their quality.

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