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.
"Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so," the press office said, including during his years in Peru.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
"The Holy Father has also confirmed that, during his years of residence in Peru he exercised his right to vote whenever he was eligible to do so," the Vatican said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
But these programs can’t come to the rescue wherever and whenever hackers attack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
But our relationship — never a personal one, but close enough that we greeted each other whenever we inevitably ran into each other — soured in later years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
“That’s what my mom calls our house whenever someone wanders in with their lives on fire. It’s a joke we say when she boots me to the couch.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
