adv · conj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/wəˈnɛvə/
Received-Pronunciation:/wɛnˈɛvə/
General-American:/wəˈnɛvɚ/
General-American:/hwəˈnɛvɚ/
General-American:/wɛnˈɛvɚ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛvə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:W EH0 N EH1 V ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:HH W EH0 N EH1 V ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
When ever: emphatic form of when.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, interrogative
Examples
Whenever will I find time to finish that jigsaw?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
At any time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial
Examples
Feel free to visit whenever.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
conj
Meaning 3
At any time that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Visit whenever you want to.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
conj
Meaning 4
At the (single) time that, no matter when.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Tomorrow I'll get up whenever the sun rises.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
conj
Meaning 5
Every time that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Whenever he has a pair of aces, his eyelids twitch.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
conj
Meaning 6
Regardless of the time that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Income must be reported in the period in which it is earned, whenever payment is actually received.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
conj
Meaning 7
When.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, US, nonstandard, regional
Examples
Whenever I was a child, I lived in Arkansas.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English whan evere, whanne ever, whanne evere, whener, when ever; equivalent to when + ever.
Across languages
Translations
78 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish:
koska vaan
— at any time
French:
n'importe quand
— at any time
Indonesian:
kapan saja
— at any time
Plautdietsch:
wanemma
— at any time
Russian:
когда́ уго́дно
(kogdá ugódno)
— at any time
Arabic:
مَتَى
(matā)
— at any time that
Arabic:
مَتَى مَا
(matā mā)
— at any time that
Bulgarian:
когато и да е
(kogato i da e)
— at any time that
Chinese Mandarin:
無論何時 /无论何时
(wúlùn héshí)
— at any time that
Chinese Mandarin:
哪會兒 /哪会儿
(nǎhuìr)
— at any time that
Czech:
kdykoliv
— at any time that
Danish:
når som helst
— at any time that
Esperanto:
kiam ajn
— at any time that
Faroese:
nær sum helst
— at any time that
Finnish:
milloin tahansa
— at any time that
Finnish:
koska vaan
— at any time that
French:
n'importe quand
— at any time that
German:
wenn
— at any time that
German:
wann immer
— at any time that
German:
wann auch immer
— at any time that
Greek:
όποτε
(ópote)
— at any time that
Greek:
οποτεδήποτε
(opotedípote)
— at any time that
Ancient Greek:
ὅταν
(hótan)
— at any time that
Ancient Greek:
ἐπειδάν
(epeidán)
— at any time that
Hungarian:
akármikor
— at any time that
Hungarian:
bármikor
— at any time that
Italian:
in ogni momento
— at any time that
Japanese:
いつでも
— at any time that
Kapampangan:
kapilanman
— at any time that
Khmer:
ពេលណា
(peil naa)
— at any time that
Latin:
quandōque
— at any time that
Latin:
quandōcumque
— at any time that
Polish:
kiedykolwiek
— at any time that
Portuguese:
quando
— at any time that
Russian:
когда́ бы ни
(kogdá by ni)
— at any time that
Scottish Gaelic:
ge be cuin
— at any time that
Scottish Gaelic:
ge be uair
— at any time that
Serbo-Croatian:
kadgod
— at any time that
Serbo-Croatian:
кадгод
— at any time that
Spanish:
cuando quiera
— at any time that
Spanish:
cuandoquiera
— at any time that
Spanish:
cuandoquier
— at any time that
Spanish:
cuando sea
— at any time that
Swedish:
närsom
— at any time that
Swedish:
när som helst
— at any time that
Swedish:
närhelst
— at any time that
Ukrainian:
коли б не
(koly b ne)
— at any time that
Indonesian:
setiap
— at the (single) time that
Arabic:
كُلَّمَا
(kullamā)
— every time that
Bulgarian:
всеки път
(vseki pǎt)
— every time that
Chinese Mandarin:
每當 /每当
(měidāng)
— every time that
Danish:
hver gang
— every time that
Finnish:
joka kerta kun
— every time that
Finnish:
aina kun
— every time that
French:
chaque fois que
— every time that
French:
à chaque fois que
— every time that
German:
sooft
— every time that
German:
immer wenn
— every time that
German:
jedes Mal, wenn
— every time that
Hungarian:
valahányszor
— every time that
Hungarian:
ahányszor
— every time that
Indonesian:
setiap
— every time that
Italian:
ogni volta che
— every time that
Japanese:
いつでも
— every time that
Kapampangan:
balang
— every time that
Polish:
ilekroć
— every time that
Portuguese:
sempre que
— every time that
Portuguese:
toda vez que
— every time that
Russian:
ка́ждый раз
(káždyj raz)
— every time that