whoever

[ hoo-ev-er ]

pronoun

possessive: whoseverobjective: whomever

1. whatever person; anyone that:

   Whoever did it should be proud. Ask whoever is there. Tell it to whomever you like.

2. no matter who:

   I won't do it, whoever asks.

3. who? what person? (used to express astonishment, disbelief, disdain, etc.):

   Whoever is that? Whoever told you such a thing?

whoever

/ huːˈɛvə /

pronoun

1. any person who; anyone that

   whoever wants it can have it

2. no matter who

   I'll come round tomorrow, whoever may be here

3. an intensive form of who, used in questions

   whoever could have thought that?

4. informal.
   an unknown or unspecified person

   give those to John, or Cathy, or whoever

Word History and Origins

Origin of whoever¹

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; who, ever

Example Sentences

When twelve people are killed by violence, whoever they are, for whatever reason, that is a tragedy and a waste.

From The Daily Beast

These addresses were used by whoever carried out the attack to control the malware and can be found in the malware code itself.

From The Daily Beast

The mass dump suggests that whoever did this, their primary motivation was to embarrass Sony Pictures.

From The Daily Beast

The real hackers—whoever they may prove to be—had pulled off a feat: they ruined a Hollywood fete.

From The Daily Beast

Whoever it is that Lebanese officials now have in custody, they clearly think she is valuable and worth publicizing.

From The Daily Beast

I, therefore, deliver it as a maxim, that whoever desires the character of a proud man ought to conceal his vanity.

From Project Gutenberg

Whoever succeeded in getting the ring on his stick won the game, and carried the prize home as a sign of victory.

From Project Gutenberg

You cannot all at once eradicate the deep-rooted customs and habits of any people, whoever they may be.

From Project Gutenberg

Suffice it to say that whoever boasts of an excellent violin should match it with a superior bow.

From Project Gutenberg

Whoever denied the former proposition was called a tool of the Court.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• someone