pron · 6 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/huˈɛvɚ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Received-Pronunciation:/huˈɛvə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛvə(ɹ)
CMU ARPABET:HH UW0 EH1 V ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
pron
Meaning 1
Who ever: an emphatic form of who.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: interrogative, nominative
Examples
Whoever thought up that stupid idea?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
pron
Meaning 2
Any person or persons that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: nominative
Qualifier: fused relative
Examples
Whoever breaks the law will be punished.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
pron
Meaning 3
The person that (no matter who).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: nominative
Qualifier: fused relative
Examples
Whoever robbed that old lady ought to be locked up.
I don't know what it is. Ask whoever put it there.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
pron
Meaning 4
Regardless of the person or persons that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: nominative
Examples
Whoever stole the painting, the police will catch the thief in no time.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
pron
Meaning 5
Any person or persons.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, nominative
Examples
I don't care who gets it; give it to whoever.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
pron
Meaning 6
Misspelling of who ever other than in interrogative use.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, misspelling, nominative
Examples
He is the tallest man whoever lived. (incorrect usage)
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English whoever. By surface analysis, who + ever.
Across languages
Translations
49 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مَنْ
(man)
— any person or persons that
Aromanian:
tsenushcari
— any person or persons that
Bulgarian:
който и да е
(kojto i da e)
— any person or persons that
Danish:
hvem der end
— any person or persons that
Danish:
enhver som
— any person or persons that
Dutch:
wie ook (dan)
— any person or persons that
Esperanto:
kiu ajn
— any person or persons that
Finnish:
kuka tahansa
— any person or persons that
Finnish:
kuka ikinä
— any person or persons that
French:
quiconque
— any person or persons that
French:
qui que ce soit qui
— any person or persons that
German:
wer immer
— any person or persons that
German:
wer auch immer
— any person or persons that
Greek:
όποιος
(ópoios)
— any person or persons that
Ancient Greek:
ὅστις
(hóstis)
— any person or persons that
Ancient Greek:
ὁστισοῦν
(hostisoûn)
— any person or persons that
Hungarian:
akárki
— any person or persons that
Hungarian:
bárki
— any person or persons that
Indonesian:
siapa pun
— any person or persons that
Irish:
cibé
— any person or persons that
Irish:
pé
— any person or persons that
Italian:
chiunque
— any person or persons that
Latin:
quisquis
— any person or persons that
Latin:
quicumque
— any person or persons that
Maltese:
kulmin
— any person or persons that
Classical Nahuatl:
āquin
— any person or persons that
Norwegian Bokmål:
den som
— any person or persons that
Norwegian Bokmål:
enhver som
— any person or persons that
Pohnpeian:
mehmen
— any person or persons that
Polish:
ktokolwiek
— any person or persons that
Portuguese:
quem
— any person or persons that
Portuguese:
quem quer que
— any person or persons that
Romanian:
oricare
— any person or persons that
Russian:
кто́ бы ни
(któ by ni)
— any person or persons that
Russian:
кто́ бы ни́ бы́ло
— any person or persons that
Russian:
кто уго́дно
(kto ugódno)
— any person or persons that
Savosavo:
ai
— any person or persons that
Scottish Gaelic:
ge be cò
— any person or persons that
Sikkimese:
ཀ་ཨིན་རུང
— any person or persons that
Spanish:
cualquier
— any person or persons that
Spanish:
cualesquiera
— any person or persons that
