every

American  

[ev-ree] / ˈɛv ri /

adjective

1. being one of a group or series taken collectively; each.

   We go there every day.

2. all possible; the greatest possible degree of.

   every prospect of success.

---

idioms

1. every bit, in every respect; completely.

   This is every bit as good as she says it is.

2. every which way, in all directions; in disorganized fashion.

   I brushed against the table, and the cards fell every which way.

3. every now and then, on occasion; from time to time: Also every once in a while, every so often.

   She bakes her own bread every now and then.

4. every other, every second; every alternate.

   milk deliveries every other day.

every British  

/ ˈɛvrɪ /

determiner

1. each one (of the class specified), without exception

   every child knows it

2. (not used with a negative) the greatest or best possible

   every hope of success

3. each: used before a noun phrase to indicate the recurrent, intermittent, or serial nature of a thing

   every third day

   every now and then

   every so often

4. (used in comparisons with as) quite; just; equally

   every bit as funny as the other show

5. each alternate; every second

   every other day

6. 1. in all directions; everywhere

      I looked every which way for you

   2. from all sides

      stones coming at me every which way

---

every More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing every

• at every turn
• each and every
• finger in the (every) pie
• living soul, every
• nook and cranny, every

---

Synonym Usage

See each.

Etymology

Origin of every

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English every, everich, Old English ǣfre ǣlc, literally “ever each” (the first element of the phrase reinforcing the second); see ever ( def. ), each

Explanation

Use the adjective every to talk about all examples of something or all the members of a group. If you invite every classmate to your party, you're asking all 30 of them to come. When you plan a trip to visit every national park in the US, you are intending to travel to 59 different parks — all of them. When you talk about time, you can also use every to explain how often an event occurs: "I've been waking up every hour lately." Every was originally a contraction of æfre ælc, "each of a group" or "ever each" in Old English.

Example Sentences

“Our platform includes safeguards like audit trails to help ensure accountability at every step. Every day, Flock supports communities across the country in addressing crime and locating missing people.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Every consecutive round you play adds one to your streak, but if you miss a round your streak resets to zero.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Every foodie, regardless of how adventurous their palate may be, has to draw the line, eventually.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026

Every morning, the chief executive of Ford Motor F -2.87%decrease; red down pointing triangle checks the same number: How big is the nationwide mechanic shortage at its dealerships?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Every surface is covered in a layer of grime and graffiti, and the air is thick and sticky, like chowder soup.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• all