whenever
Americanconjunction
-
at whatever time; at any time when.
Come whenever you like.
-
when? (used emphatically).
Whenever did he say that?
conjunction
adverb
-
no matter when
it'll be here, whenever you decide to come for it
-
informal at an unknown or unspecified time
I'll take it if it comes today, tomorrow, or whenever
-
an intensive form of when, used in questions
whenever did he escape?
Etymology
Origin of whenever
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at when, ever
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.
My children’s faces, whenever they asked if the sailors were OK, made me wonder how reassured those stories really made them feel during prolonged separations.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
"I pass this tree whenever I come home. I would say, 'Grandpa, I'm home.' Or 'Grandpa, I'm heading out now'."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
I’m a natural skeptic of alarmism and suspicious whenever a company tells me the government must do something.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
People are fighting to stay afloat, and whenever I see the film industry get new tax credits, I wonder why music doesn’t advocate for that too.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
It was missing four teeth, but the tiny pink stones along the top glowed whenever I held it up to the sun.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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.
