whenever

American  

[hwen-, wen-ev-er, hwuhn-, wuhn-] / ʰwɛn-, wɛnˈɛv ər, ʰwən-, wən- /

conjunction

1. at whatever time; at any time when.

   Come whenever you like.

2. when? (used emphatically).

   Whenever did he say that?

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whenever British  

/ wɛnˈɛvə /

conjunction

1. (subordinating) at every or any time that; when

   I laugh whenever I see that

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adverb

1. no matter when

   it'll be here, whenever you decide to come for it

2. informal at an unknown or unspecified time

   I'll take it if it comes today, tomorrow, or whenever

3. an intensive form of when, used in questions

   whenever did he escape?

Etymology

Origin of whenever

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at when, ever

Example Sentences

Whenever production resumes, it will be gradual and won’t replenish supplies right away.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Whenever I have a long day at work, or don’t have the energy to cook, this recipe always has my back and has dinner on my plate in less than 30 minutes.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

Whenever the Iran war ends, the seven emirates comprising the U.A.E. will have significant refunding commitments to rebuild the damage to their economies caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

"Whenever the Moon was up in the sky, throughout the night, we were tracking the capsule and making sure that all the data we were collecting was processed correctly and sent off to Nasa."

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Whenever possible, the teenagers also held the prestigious Hitler Youth Achievement Medal, earned for outstanding performance during their paramilitary training days.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti