whatever

[ hwuht-ev-er, hwot-, hwuh t-, wuht-, wot-, wuh t- ]

/ ʰwʌtˈɛv ər, ʰwɒt-, ʰwət-, wʌt-, wɒt-, wət- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whatever ON THESAURUS.COM

pronoun

anything that (usually used in relative clauses): Whatever you say is all right with me.

(used relatively to indicate a quantity of a specified or implied antecedent): Take whatever you like of these.

no matter what: Do it, whatever happens.

any or any one of a number of things whether specifically known or not: papers, magazines, or whatever.

what (used interrogatively): Whatever do you mean?

adjective

in any amount; to any extent: whatever merit the work has.

no matter what: whatever rebuffs he might receive.

being what or who it may be: Whatever the reason, he refuses to go.

of any kind (used as an intensifier following the noun or pronoun it modifies): any person whatever.

interjection

(used to indicate indifference to a state of affairs, situation, previous statement, etc.)

RELATED WORDS

whatsoever, any, everything

Nearby words

Origin of whatever

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at what, ever

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whatever

When twelve people are killed by violence, whoever they are, for whatever reason, that is a tragedy and a waste.
Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie|Arthur Chu|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There was nobody that I read who was like, “This is just… whatever.”
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Whatever the FBI says, the truthers will create alternative hypotheses that try to challenge the ‘official story.’
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Morris searched for whatever strength was left in his malnourished body.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Whatever the excuse, in 2008 we were all subjected to Celebrity Apprentice.
Donald Trump Fires Woman For Not Calling Bill Cosby|Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The mink, nothing daunted, crouched again, in readiness for whatever that something might be.
Red Fox|Charles G. D. Roberts
But as you did not belong to me then, whatever you may have done was no disgrace to me.
The Continental Monthly, Vol III, Issue VI, June, 1863|Various
But this is certain, that whatever the sex set their hearts upon, they make thorough work of it.
Clarissa, Volume 6 (of 9)|Samuel Richardson
They studied from whatever book they liked best, each child bringing the "Reader" or "Speller" he could most easily lay hands on.
Peak and Prairie|Anna Fuller
I decided to look no more towards Newenham; but to go on by the Duke's side to whatever fortune the wars might bring us.
Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger|John Masefield

British Dictionary definitions for whatever

whatever

/ (wɒtˈɛvə, wət-) /

pronoun

everything or anything thatdo whatever he asks you to

no matter whatwhatever he does, he is forgiven

informal an unknown or unspecified thing or thingstake a hammer, chisel, or whatever

an intensive form of what, used in questionswhatever can he have said to upset her so much?

determiner

an intensive form of whatuse whatever tools you can get hold of

adjective

(postpositive) absolutely; whatsoeverI saw no point whatever in continuing

interjection

informal an expression used to show indifference or dismissal

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

Word Origin and History for whatever

whatever

pron.

c.1300, from what + ever. Variant form whatsoever is attested earlier.

Idioms and Phrases with whatever

whatever

see or whatever.

whatever

pronoun

adjective

interjection

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of whatever

Examples from the Web for whatever

British Dictionary definitions for whatever

whatever

pronoun

determiner

adjective

interjection

Word Origin and History for whatever

whatever

Idioms and Phrases with whatever

whatever