either

American  

[ee-ther, ahy-ther] / ˈi ðər, ˈaɪ ðər /

adjective

1. one or the other of two.

   You may sit at either end of the table.

2. each of two; the one and the other.

   There are trees on either side of the river.

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pronoun

1. one or the other.

   There are two roads into the town, and you can take either. Either will do.

conjunction

1. (a coordinating conjunction that, when preceding a word or statement followed by the disjunctive or, serves to emphasize the possibility of choice).

   Either come or write.

adverb

1. also; too; as well; to the same degree (used after negative clauses coordinated by and, or, or nor, or after negative subordinate clauses).

   He's not fond of parties, and I'm not either. If you don't come, she won't come either.

either British  

/ ˈaɪðə, ˈiːðə /

determiner

1. 1. one or the other (of two)

      either coat will do

   2. ( as pronoun )

      either is acceptable

2. both one and the other

   there were ladies at either end of the table

3. (coordinating) used preceding two or more possibilities joined by "or"

   you may have either cheese or a sweet

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adverb

1. (used with a negative) used to indicate that the clause immediately preceding is a partial reiteration of a previous clause

   John isn't a liar, but he isn't exactly honest either

Grammar

When the pronoun either is the subject and comes immediately before the verb, the verb is singular: Either is good enough. Either grows well in this soil. When either is followed by a prepositional phrase with a plural object, there is a tendency to use a plural verb, but a singular verb is more common: Either of them is (or are) good enough. Either of the shrubs grows (or grow) well in this soil. As an adjective either refers only to two of anything: either side of the river; using either hand. As a pronoun either sometimes occurs in reference to more than two ( either of the three children ), but any is more common in this construction ( any of the three children ). As a conjunction, either often introduces a series of more than two: The houses were finished with either cedar siding or stucco or brick. The pizza is topped with either anchovies, green peppers, or mushrooms. Usage guides say that the verb used with subjects joined by the correlative conjunctions either … or (or neither … nor ) is singular or plural depending on the number of the noun or pronoun nearer the verb: Either the parents or the school determines the program. Either the school or the parents determine the program. Practice in this matter varies, however, and often the presence of one plural, no matter what its position, results in a plural verb: Either the parents or the school determine the program. In carefully edited writing, these correlative conjunctions are usually placed so that what follows the first correlative is parallel to what follows the second: The damage was done by either the wind or vandals or either by the wind or by vandals (not done either by the wind or vandals). See also neither.

Pronunciation

The pronunciations and , with the vowel of see, are the usual ones in American English for the words either and neither. The pronunciations and , with the vowel of bite, occur occasionally for these words, chiefly in the speech of the educated and in the network standard English of radio and television. Both the and pronunciations existed in British English, and in the 19th century the came to predominate in standard British speech. In American English, therefore, it reflects a recent borrowing from British speech rather than a survival from the time of early settlement, influenced as well by the ei spelling, which is pronounced as in such words as height and stein.

Usage

Either is followed by a singular verb in good usage: either is good; either of these books is useful. Care should be taken to avoid ambiguity when using either to mean both or each, as in the following sentence: a ship could be moored on either side of the channel. Agreement between the verb and its subject in either…or… constructions follows the pattern given for neither…nor…

Etymology

Origin of either

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ǣgther, contraction of ǣghwæther “each of two, both”; see ay ¹, whether

Explanation

Either usually signals a choice between two things. Either we go to the movies or the park: we can't do both. Either is used in many comparisons, as in: "I'm not young, but I'm not old either" or "I'm no Martha Stewart, but I'm not a slob either." A choice between two things is often called an either/or choice. You can vote for either the Republican candidate, the Democratic candidate, or an independent candidate. You can't vote for two of them or all three. When you see the word either, you're probably going to have to make a choice.

Example Sentences

Either might signal a “value trap,” or other concerns among enough investors to explain the low share price.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

Either way, the updated estimates provide further runway for the S&P 500, which is already up 8.8% year to date through Thursday’s close.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Either way, scientists say the system cannot easily be explained using current theories alone.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

Either way, Trey Mangum says not to bet the farm on “Hacks” just yet: “ ‘Shrinking’ is coming off of its buzziest season yet, so I wouldn’t count out the upset here.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Either piece of news—rising ratings standards or falling house prices—should have disrupted the subprime bond market and caused the price of insuring the bonds to rise.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis