言わば (Iwaba) is a Japanese adverb meaning “so to speak, so to call it, as it were”.
Meanings
- adverbso to speak; so to call it; as it were
Examples
彼はいわば学者ばかだ。
He is, so to speak, a learned fool.
彼はいわば賢い愚か者だ。
He is a wise fool, so to speak.
彼は、いわば、本の虫だ。
He is, so to speak, a bookworm.
Sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR).