whatever

[hwuht-ev-er, hwot-, hwuh t-, wuht-, wot-, wuh t-] /ʰwʌtˈɛv ər, ʰwɒt-, ʰwət-, wʌt-, wɒt-, wət-/
pronoun
1.
anything that (usually used in relative clauses):
Whatever you say is all right with me.
2.
(used relatively to indicate a quantity of a specified or implied antecedent):
Take whatever you like of these.
3.
no matter what:
Do it, whatever happens.
4.
any or any one of a number of things whether specifically known or not:
papers, magazines, or whatever.
5.
what (used interrogatively):
Whatever do you mean?
adjective
6.
in any amount; to any extent:
whatever merit the work has.
7.
no matter what:
whatever rebuffs he might receive.
8.
being what or who it may be:
Whatever the reason, he refuses to go.
9.
of any kind (used as an intensifier following the noun or pronoun it modifies):
any person whatever.
interjection
10.
(used to indicate indifference to a state of affairs, situation, previous statement, etc.)
Origin
1300-50; Middle English; see what, ever
Examples from the web for whatever
  • But whatever clever eristic moves you make, there's a problem on the horizon-extreme academe is heading our way.
  • It also falls freely from cut lilies onto whatever carpet or tablecloth happens to be below the vase.
  • And whatever the traffickers were building, the tipster had warned, was truly enormous.
  • The saying used to be, whatever happens, the lawyers win.
  • Some places have rather odd agglomerations: whatever works best.
  • whatever your garden's size or style, good plant health is your first line of defense against potential problems of any kind.
  • The best students would simply use whatever time they had left to study and not ask for an extension.
  • So the swag contains your sleeping bag, teddy bear, pajamas or whatever else you want to put in it.
  • whatever the specifics, however, falling wages are a symptom of a sick economy.
  • whatever it is must reconcile the seemingly irreconcilable demands of consumers and the industry.
British Dictionary definitions for whatever

whatever

/wɒtˈɛvə; wət-/
pronoun
1.
everything or anything that: do whatever he asks you to
2.
no matter what: whatever he does, he is forgiven
3.
(informal) an unknown or unspecified thing or things: take a hammer, chisel, or whatever
4.
an intensive form of what, used in questions: whatever can he have said to upset her so much?
determiner
5.
an intensive form of what: use whatever tools you can get hold of
adjective
6.
(postpositive) absolutely; whatsoever: I saw no point whatever in continuing
interjection
7.
(informal) an expression used to show indifference or dismissal
Word Origin and History for whatever
pron.

c.1300, from what + ever. Variant form whatsoever is attested earlier.

Slang definitions & phrases for whatever

whatever

adverb

Perhaps; possibly •Often a reply to an unanswerable question, with the force of ''Could be'' or ''We'll see'': Well, whatever. The point was, he was dead/ Which I can do on my own, or whatever

[1900+; perhaps a shortening of whatever's fair, attested in 1960 student use]


Idioms and Phrases with whatever

whatever

see: or whatever