everyday

American  

[ev-ree-dey, ev-ree-dey] / ˈɛv riˌdeɪ, ˈɛv riˈdeɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to every day; daily.

   an everyday occurrence.

2. of or for ordinary days, as contrasted with Sundays, holidays, or special occasions.

   everyday clothes.

   Synonyms:

   usual, common, workday

3. such as is met with every day; ordinary; commonplace.

   a placid, everyday scene.

   Synonyms:

   usual, common, workday

---

noun

1. the routine or ordinary day or occasion.

   We use inexpensive plates for everyday.

everyday British  

/ ˈɛvrɪˌdeɪ /

adjective

1. happening each day; daily

2. commonplace or usual; ordinary

3. suitable for or used on ordinary days as distinct from Sundays or special days

---

Usage

What’s the difference between everyday and every day? Everyday is most commonly used as an adjective meaning daily or, in a more figurative sense, ordinary, as in an everyday occurrence. The phrase every day means each day—it functions as an adverb to describe how frequently an action is done, as in I try to exercise every day. Think of it this way: everyday is used to describe nouns, while every day is used to describe verbs. For example, a person might aspire to go for a run every day, eat vegetables every day, and read every day. If they did these things every day (or most days), these activities would constitute part of their everyday routine. If you can replace the term with regular or ordinary, use everyday. If you can replace it with each day, use every day. Careful—the word daily can be used to replace both terms in certain situations (such as I exercise every day and This is one of my everyday exercises). Here’s an example of everyday and every day used correctly in the same sentence. Example: Every day this week I’ve tried to change one thing about my everyday routine. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between everyday and every day.

Other Word Forms

• everydayness noun

Etymology

Origin of everyday

First recorded in 1325–75, everyday is from the Middle English word everydayes. See every, day

Explanation

Something routine or ordinary is called everyday. Your everyday chores, your everyday clothes, your everyday activities — these things make up everyday life. The adjective everyday describes the common things that you generally do as part of a regular day — doing the dishes in an everyday task — but it can also have the sense of “ordinary,” like the casual everyday clothes you wear when you’re not doing anything special. Make sure you spell everyday as one word: everyday. Every day, which carries the more literal sense of something that’s done every day, is spelled as two words.

Example Sentences

Jack was constantly thinking about politics and the relationship between government and the public and how power and policy shape everyday life and collective freedom.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

For millions, that familiar catchphrase instantly transports them back to Balamory, the beloved children's TV show in which residents solved everyday problems through friendship and fun in a brightly coloured fictional island community.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Many experts describe today's environment as an "obesogenic society," where everyday conditions make it harder to maintain healthy habits and easier to gain weight.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

“Over the past several weeks, Placer.ai data has revealed a distinct shift in consumer foot traffic away from discretionary retailers in favor of everyday staples,” said R.J.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Once, he had carried Robin to another part of the monastery, and showed him where records of everyday living were written and poems and psalteries copied.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

Related Words

• commonplace
• frequent
• mundane
• normal
• ordinary
• prosaic
• usual
• workaday