whenever

American  

[hwen-, wen-ev-er, hwuhn-, wuhn-] / ʰwɛn-, wɛnˈɛv ər, ʰwən-, wən- /

conjunction

1. at whatever time; at any time when.

   Come whenever you like.

2. when? (used emphatically).

   Whenever did he say that?

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whenever British  

/ wɛnˈɛvə /

conjunction

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

   I laugh whenever I see that

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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?

Etymology

Origin of whenever

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

Example Sentences

Savouri also cites problems like benefit arbitrage, for example, whereby the number of people claiming it falls whenever the government introduces stricter qualifying criteria.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Beta wasn’t an expert in any of the subjects that he had to master in order to write this book, and yet he dives incredibly deep whenever it is called for.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

“But the cat stiffened and I stiffened whenever anybody moved, aware of all the possible lives being lived around us.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The scene captures the same sense of cringe that I felt whenever I heard a radio call sign that broadcast the user’s insecurity to everyone listening.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

They had two sets of twin boys, so things were always noisy and messy whenever they were around.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan