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.
And, whenever possible, we plan to stay with friends and family who live within driving distance of the wedding venues, which won’t cost us anything.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
“In a lot of cases, whenever such a project is being launched, the only information you’re getting is an extremely tiny part,” says de Vries-Gao.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
Also: keeping that $50 billion stake intact for whenever OpenAI goes public and gifts investors with flush new cash from open trading.
From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026
"She is my older sister and I always trusted her and could tell her my problems and whenever I spoke to her on a video call, the child was by her side."
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
And whenever she did manage to stop in, the visits were contentious because she was lobbying for us to leave Poland.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
