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Everyman

American  
[ev-ree-man] / ˈɛv riˌmæn /

noun

  1. (italics) a 15th-century English morality play.

  2. (usually lowercase) an ordinary person; the typical or average person.


pronoun

  1. everybody; everyone.

Everyman British  
/ ˈɛvrɪˌmæn /

noun

  1. a medieval English morality play in which the central figure represents mankind, whose earthly destiny is dramatized from the Christian viewpoint

  2. (often not capital) the ordinary person; common man

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Everyman

every + man

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.

See Examples For:

Wood's adaptation of The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher has just opened at the Liverpool Everyman theatre.

From BBC May 8, 2026

After a loss, the grieving Everyman finds no option but to keep living—he is, as one character says, “just waiting to see what we’ve been left here for.”

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 26, 2025

That colors Ben as the quintessential 2025 American Everyman – he’s non-judgmental, not entirely immune to disinformation, but also questions behavior and developments that might have been plausible a decade ago.

From Salon Jan. 21, 2025

His vibe is a lot different from the hefty, pale, Midwestern Everyman whom a lot of people think of when they hear his name.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 22, 2024

Downtrodden Americans gravitated strongly toward the Horatio Alger protagonist, the lowly bred Everyman who rises from anonymity and hopelessness.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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