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• even
  even

  adjective

  level; flat; smooth; without surface irregularities.
• Even
  Even

  noun

  a member of a Siberian people living mainly in the Yakut Autonomous Republic in the Russian Federation.

even

¹ American  

[ee-vuhn] / ˈi vən /

adjective

1. level; flat; smooth; without surface irregularities.

   The car can reach a top speed of 120 miles per hour on an even road.

   Synonyms:

   plane

   Antonyms:

   uneven, irregular

2. on the same level; in the same plane or line; parallel.

   Plunge the poles into the soil until the lines you marked are even with the ground.

3. free from variations or fluctuations; regular.

   He rocked the baby with a careful, even motion.

4. uniform in action, character, or quality.

   She governed successfully because she had managed to hold an even course between conflicting principles and parties.

5. equal in measure or quantity.

   Add even amounts of oil and vinegar.

6. (of a number) divisible by two (opposed to odd).

   The numbers 2, 16, and 30 are even.

7. denoted by a number divisible by two.

   There are small illustrations on the top of the even pages of the book.

8. exactly expressible in integers, or in tens, hundreds, etc., without fractional parts.

   It's an even seven miles there and back.

9. Mathematics. (of a function) having a sign that remains the same when the sign of each independent variable is changed at the same time.

10. equally balanced or divided; equal.

    Check to see if the scales are even.

11. leaving no balance of debt on either side; square.

    We will not be even until I can repay him for saving my life.

12. calm; placid; not easily excited or angered.

    If you're looking for a dog with an even temper and friendly personality, this breed is perfect.

    Synonyms:

    peaceful, composed, temperate, tranquil

    Antonyms:

    mercurial

13. equitable, impartial, or fair.

    After much wrangling, they finally came to an even bargain that suited everyone.

    Synonyms:

    just

    Antonyms:

    biased

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adverb

1. evenly.

   The road ran even over the fields.

2. still; yet (used to emphasize a comparative).

   I liked your previous idea for Mom's gift, but I think this one is even more suitable.

3. (used to suggest that something mentioned as a possibility constitutes an extreme case or an unlikely instance).

   Even the slightest noise disturbs him.

   Even if he attends, he may not participate.

4. (used to emphasize the occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event, or the simultaneity of events).

   Even as he lay dying, they argued over his estate.

   I loaned her my car for a whole week, but she didn't even fill the gas tank up before returning it to me.

5. fully or quite.

   I will protect my child even to my death.

6. indeed (used as an intensive for stressing the identity or truth of something).

   He is willing, even eager, to do it.

7. exactly or precisely.

   It was even so.

verb (used with object)

evens, present (3rd person singular) evened, past participle, past evening present participle

1. to make even; level; smooth (sometimes followed byout ).

   The first step is to even the board with a plane.

2. to place in an even state as to claim or obligation; balance (often followed byup ).

   I need to even up the accounts before I do my taxes.

verb (used without object)

evens, present (3rd person singular) evened, past participle, past evening present participle

1. to become even.

   The odds evened before the race.

verb phrase

1. even out

   1. to make or become even, smooth, or flat.

      The wrinkles will even out when the suit dries.

   2. to become equal, balanced, stable, etc..

      We were optimistic that the situation would even out eventually.

idioms

1. break even, to have one's profits equal one's losses; neither gain nor lose.

   The company barely broke even last year.

2. get even, to be revenged; retaliate.

   He vowed to get even for the insult.

even ² American  

[ee-vuhn] / ˈi vən /

noun

Archaic.

1. evening; eve.

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Even ³ American  

[ey-wuhn, ev-uhn] / ˈeɪ wən, ˈɛv ən /

noun

Evens, plural Even plural

1. a member of a Siberian people living mainly in the Yakut Autonomous Republic in the Russian Federation.

2. the Tungusic language spoken by the Even.

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even ¹ British  

/ ˈiːvən /

noun

1. an archaic word for eve evening

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even ² British  

/ ˈiːvən /

adjective

1. level and regular; flat

   an even surface

2. on the same level or in the same plane (as)

   one surface even with another

3. without variation or fluctuation; regular; constant

   an even rate of progress

4. not readily moved or excited; placid; calm

   an even temper

5. equally balanced between two sides

   an even game

6. equal or identical in number, quantity, etc

   two even spoonfuls of sugar

7. 1. (of a number) divisible by two

   2. characterized or indicated by such a number Compare odd

      maps are on the even pages

8. relating to or denoting two or either of two alternatives, events, etc, that have an equal probability

   an even chance of missing or catching a train

9. having no balance of debt; neither owing nor being owed

10. just and impartial; fair

    an even division

11. exact in number, amount, or extent

    an even pound

12. equal, as in score; level

    now the teams are even

13. maths (of a function) unchanged in value when the sign of the independent variable is changed, as in y = z ² See odd

14. 1. a bet in which the winnings are the same as the amount staked

    2. ( as modifier )

       the even-money favourite

15. informal to exact revenge (on); settle accounts (with)

16. formal law of the same or today's date

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adverb

1. (intensifier; used to suggest that the content of a statement is unexpected or paradoxical)

   even an idiot can do that

2. (intensifier; used with comparative forms)

   this is even better

3. notwithstanding; in spite of

   even having started late she soon caught him up

4. used to introduce a more precise version of a word, phrase, or statement

   he is base, even depraved

5. used preceding a clause of supposition or hypothesis to emphasize the implication that whether or not the condition in it is fulfilled, the statement in the main clause remains valid

   even if she died he wouldn't care

6. archaic that is to say; namely (used for emphasis)

   he, even he, hath spoken these things

7. archaic all the way; fully

   I love thee even unto death

8. (conjunction) at the very same moment or in the very same way that

   even as I spoke, it thundered

9. in spite of any assertion to the contrary: nevertheless

verb

1. to make or become even

even Scientific  

/ ē′vən /

1. Divisible by 2 with a remainder of 0, such as 12 or 876.

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even More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing even

• break even
• never give a sucker an even break
• on an even keel

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Usage

What is a basic definition of even? Even describes something as being flat or equal. Even is also used to intensify a statement. In math, even means a number is divisible by 2. The word even has many other senses as an adjective, adverb, and verb. If a surface is even, it is flat or smooth. It doesn’t have any hills, bumps, or things sticking out of it. In a similar sense, even means a surface is level and doesn’t slant or slope.

• Real-life examples: An even coat of paint doesn’t have air pockets or isn’t heavier in one area (and, as a result, is a darker shade). Even skin is free of pimples, bumps, blisters, and possibly even hair.
• Used in a sentence: You need to set up the camera on even ground to get a great picture.

If two sides are even, they are equal or fairly distributed. For example, exchanging a 10-dollar bill for two 5-dollar bills is an even trade. Two basketball teams that each have five players have an even amount of players. This sense of even is often used figuratively to refer to revenge. You might “get even” with someone by causing them a supposedly equal amount of suffering that you received earlier. However, people you get even with rarely see it as getting even.

• Real-life examples: A soccer match ending with a 1–1 score means the two teams have an even score. If you borrow $10 from someone, you need to pay them $10 back in order to be even with them. If you put even amounts of weight on two sides of a scale, you are putting the exact same amount on each side.
• Used in a sentence: Everybody got an even number of pizza slices to eat.

As an adverb, even is used as an intensifier. This sense of even is very versatile, indicating something is very unlikely, an extreme case, or a surprising comparison.

• Used in a sentence: Even my three-year-old daughter draws better than I do.

Even numbers can be divided by 2 without leaving a remainder or resulting in a decimal.

• Real-life examples: 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 are even numbers. 17 is not an even number because 17 divided by 2 equals 8. 5 (or 8 with a remainder of 1).
• Used in a sentence: Somehow, I never have an even number of socks and always end up with a single sock sitting by itself in the drawer.

Synonym Usage

See level.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• evener
  noun
• evenness
  noun
• evenly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Even
  plural
• Evens
  plural

Participles

• evening
  present
• evened
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• even
  simple
• evens
  simple
• have evened
  perfect
• has evened
  perfect
• am evening
  progressive
• are evening
  progressive
• is evening
  progressive
• have been evening
  perfect progressive
• has been evening
  perfect progressive

Past

• evened
  simple
• had evened
  perfect
• was evening
  progressive
• were evening
  progressive
• had been evening
  perfect progressive

Future

• will even
  simple
• will have evened
  perfect
• will be evening
  progressive
• will have been evening
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of even¹

First recorded before 900; (for the adjective) Middle English efn(e), emne, even, Old English ef(e)n; cognate with Gothic ibns, Old High German eban, Old Norse jafn “even, equal”; adverb and verb derivative of the adjective

Origin of even²

First recorded before 950; Middle English eve(n), Old English ǣfen, ēven; akin to German Abend, Old Frisian āvend, ēvend; see evening

Origin of Even³

< Russian ėvén < Evenki əwən

Explanation

Even means level and flat. When you're planning to build one of your famously elaborate sandcastles on the beach, you probably make sure the sand is even before you start. Something smooth and regular, like a wall that's prepped for painting, is even. Even also describes a balance like when you give all the kids an even amount of candy, or something that is calm, like a person who has an even temper. In math, an even number is one that can be divided by two without a remainder. The adverb even is used to emphasize something, like when your friend doesn't even see you waving frantically at her.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

even Even Evens evens evened evening

Many plastic items are used for only a few minutes or hours, but the material can remain in the environment for decades or even centuries.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

However, even they caution that the technique is only as good as the people using it.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

"Another fantastic opportunity for our men's team to challenge for silverware, with learnings from this tournament and even more support from our brilliant fans to look forward to. Onwards."

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Demand for premium travel experiences in the years since the pandemic has led airlines to focus even more on big-spending customers, shifting credit cards and loyalty programs to the center of airlines’ strategies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

And even more impressive is how insanely good he is with his instrument.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Even as a child colouring with the crayons she loved, she seemed to be doing the wrong thing.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Even after making her real accounts private, Weston continued posting older photographs and AI-edited images, the court heard.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Even before becoming defence chief, Fedorov spent much of the war promoting advanced technology, like drones, as a way to offset Ukraine's shortages in manpower, money and ammunition.

From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026

Even as IBM helps its customers adapt to the AI age, it was caught flat-footed by it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Even the rumbling wheels echo, “Land, land, land.”

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

SpaceX sold less than 5% of its stock in its initial public offering, a “puny” amount that limits its immediate size in index funds, according to Morningstar analyst Zachary Evens.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

But according to estimates by Morningstar analyst Zachary Evens, SpaceX’s float is unlikely to exceed 50% after a year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

“That financial viability requirement was a big criticism of the S&P 500” during the years that Tesla surged, says Zachary Evens, a manager research analyst at Morningstar.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Bryony Evens is one of those taking part.

From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2023

"Miss Evens," she said, "allow me to present Mr. Dewey, with whom I believe you have promised to dance."

From On Guard Mark Mallory's Celebration by Sinclair, Upton

This season, Toney finished second in the domestic scoring charts with 32 goals in 32 games - he evens boasts more assists and a better shot conversion rate than Bayern Munich forward Kane.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

Sometimes people get it right, sometimes people get it wrong, but it usually evens out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

“Break evens are saying that the market thinks oil prices are going to stay high for at least a period of time,” said Tom Graff, chief investment officer of Baltimore-based Facet, a financial advisory company.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026

“But it’s mostly something that we think evens out at the end,” he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025

But her mouth evens out when she smiles.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Their independent expenditures helped supplement Mr. Becerra’s relatively small $17 million war-chest and somewhat evened the lopsided field with Mr. Steyer’s $216 million self-funded campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

But with an offensive bounce-back and strong pitching performances on the front and back end, the Dodgers evened the series at Chase Field.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

But he noted the indexes have diverged for periods of time before, in both directions, but have always evened out over time.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

"I think we deserved the win even though things evened out a bit in the second half."

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

As the boat evened up with the end of the dock I jumped off and hooked a line around a cleat, but the wood was rotted and the cleat bolts ripped out of the dock.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

Those who hope to unplug on Friday evening with no foresight will likely find themselves restless.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

I have a photo of my mother at the Bowl on a chilly 1940s evening sporting, like other ladies around her in the inexpensive bleachers, her mink stole.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

Andy Burnham spoke up in favour of the nuclear test veterans on Tuesday evening in his first speech in parliament since his re-election last month, endorsing their call for a "special tribunal".

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

That’s likely a reference to retailers who have said more daylight in the evening boosts sales.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

One night during evening roll call, a platoon somewhere far down the Lagerstrasse began a rhythmic stamping.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• indeed
• much