whenever

1 of 2

conjunction

when·​ev·​er (h)we-ˈne-vər How to pronounce whenever (audio)
(h)wə-
: at any or every time that

whenever

2 of 2

adverb

: at whatever time

Examples of whenever in a Sentence

Conjunction You may leave whenever you wish. Whenever he leaves the house he always takes an umbrella. The teacher welcomes originality whenever it is shown. We'll begin the meeting whenever the boss gets here. Adverb You can come tomorrow or whenever.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
This moisturizer is a dream for anyone who’s keen on giving their hands some extra TLC whenever, wherever. People Staff, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 As has been the case for the past few years, Barca have to navigate Financial Fair Play rules and La Liga's strict salary cap whenever making new signings or registering the new contracts of their current players. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023 At the site of the accident, cleanup workers were using cranes and other heavy machinery, hauling sheets of metal by hand, and moving wreckage into dumpsters — pausing their work whenever a train came through. Anna Phillips, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2023 Scheduling regular body doubling sessions is one option, Nordmeyer said, or just ask whenever the need arises. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 13 Feb. 2023 Others simply noted her propensity for meme-able reactions whenever she's captured as an audience member. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 12 Feb. 2023 Stray observations: Despite the serious subject matter of so much of tonight’s material, Costello was once again consistently funny in between songs, and charmingly self-deprecating whenever anything went slightly askew. Connor Ratliff, SPIN, 12 Feb. 2023 Sara Moulton, the chef, cookbook author and television cooking show personality, turned to Anderson whenever she was stumped by a viewer’s question. Penelope Green, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Feb. 2023 Blair was remembered as a person who was moved to act whenever someone needed help. Nathan Solisstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whenever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Conjunction

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

circa 1576, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whenever was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near whenever

Cite this Entry

“Whenever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whenever. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whenever

1 of 2 conjunction
when·​ev·​er hwe-ˈnev-ər How to pronounce whenever (audio)
hwə-,
we-,
wə-
: at any or every time that
stop whenever you wish

whenever

2 of 2 adverb
: at whatever time
come tomorrow or whenever

More from Merriam-Webster on whenever

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