whenever

[hwen-, wen-ev-er, hwuhn-, wuhn-]

conjunction

1. at whatever time; at any time when.

   Come whenever you like.

2. when? (used emphatically).

   Whenever did he say that?

whenever

/ wɛnˈɛvə /

conjunction

1. (subordinating) at every or any time that; when

   I laugh whenever I see that

adverb

1. no matter when

   it'll be here, whenever you decide to come for it

2. informal,  at an unknown or unspecified time

   I'll take it if it comes today, tomorrow, or whenever

3. an intensive form of when, used in questions

   whenever did he escape?

Word History and Origins

Origin of whenever¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; when, ever

Example Sentences

Bellamy is clear about how he wants his team to play – pressing high, attacking whenever possible – but acknowledged that, on occasions like this against superior opposition, that will not always be possible.

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“Whenever a song of hers comes on at our party, people start screaming, they’re jumping onstage. That feeling of tangibly belonging to a community is what Futch was born out of.”

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Whenever there has been a temporary easing of stamp duty, such as in the immediate aftermath of the Covid lockdowns, house prices have then risen.

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He’s used to giving me the silent treatment whenever there is conflict and he’s improved, but there is still a huge divide between what we have and what I, and most people, think is healthy.

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