everyday
Americanadjective
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of or relating to every day; daily.
an everyday occurrence.
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of or for ordinary days, as contrasted with Sundays, holidays, or special occasions.
everyday clothes.
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such as is met with every day; ordinary; commonplace.
a placid, everyday scene.
noun
adjective
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happening each day; daily
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commonplace or usual; ordinary
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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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing everyday
Walker's 25 Most Relevant Words
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Gene Hackman (1930–2025) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a drama not of simple steps but of people staggering through life, in its horrors and its everyday unhappiness, looking for a place to land.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Apple’s installed base of over 2.5 billion devices offers a unique distribution advantage, but success hinges on the utility that AI features can provide for consumers in their everyday lives.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Robots are popping up more in everyday life in China, with trial jobs including directing traffic, cleaning houses or working on factory floors.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
A balanced musculoskeletal system, in everyday life, helps prevent abnormal movement patterns that can lead to chronic injuries, even in nonathletes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Garfield's supporters emphasized his rise from poverty, presenting him as a common man who could relate to the everyday lives of voters.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
