1
a
: anything or everything that
take whatever you want
b
: no matter what
whatever he says, they won't believe him
c
: whatnot
enjoys skiing, hiking, or whatever
2
: what sense 1a(1)
—used to express astonishment or perplexity
whatever do you mean by that
1
a
: any … that : all … that
buy peace … on whatever terms could be obtained—
C. S. Forester
C. S. Forester
b
: no matter what
money, in whatever hands, will confer power—Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson2
: of any kind at all
—used after the substantive it modifies with any or with an expressed or implied negative
in any order whatever—W. G. Moulton
W. G. Moultonno food whatever
: in any case : whatever the case may be
—sometimes used interjectionally to suggest the unimportance of an issue or decision between alternatives
go see a movie, watch TV,—whatever
Synonyms
Examples of whatever in a Sentence
Pronoun
“What's that smell?” “I don't know, but whatever it is, it's awful!”
Whatever you do, don't press that button!
Adjective
She will buy the painting at whatever price.
There's no evidence whatever to support your theory.
Adverb
whatever the reviews say, I still think it was a great play
Recent Examples on the Web
Theresa Walker, Orange County Register, 30 Apr. 2017
The symptoms, for whatever reason, took a turn for the worse maybe five days ago.
—Anthony Slater, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2017
Whatever spoils of tour come back with them are to be conscientiously invested.
—Joe Rubino, The Know, 30 Mar. 2017
Basically helping out with whatever needed to be done.
—Nancy Ngo, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2017
The show often has a little segment on the history of whatever pile of carbohydrates the contestants have to construct.
—The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 3 Jan. 2017
Arkansas Online, 8 May 2021
And so the Administration of Harvard, by its own admission, has taken no action whatever.
—William F. Buckley Jr., National Review, 23 Oct. 2017
Obviously nobody is going to listen to me on the subject of clowns, so whatever.
—Marc Snetiker, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2017
Most fares are less than $330, which is whatever-the-Norwegian-word-for-remarkable-is for flights that usually cost at least $750.
—Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Central to whatever the answer might be is the issue of race and policing – the same as when Watts exploded in 1965 and then in 1992, with south Los Angeles again the epicenter of violence that spread to other parts of Southern California.
—Theresa Walker, Orange County Register, 30 Apr. 2017
The symptoms, for whatever reason, took a turn for the worse maybe five days ago.
—Anthony Slater, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2017
Whatever spoils of tour come back with them are to be conscientiously invested.
—Joe Rubino, The Know, 30 Mar. 2017
Basically helping out with whatever needed to be done.
—Nancy Ngo, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2017
The show often has a little segment on the history of whatever pile of carbohydrates the contestants have to construct.
—The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 3 Jan. 2017
Adverb
Wants to be sure her friends notice her new whatever-she's-wearing.
—Arkansas Online, 8 May 2021
And so the Administration of Harvard, by its own admission, has taken no action whatever.
—William F. Buckley Jr., National Review, 23 Oct. 2017
Obviously nobody is going to listen to me on the subject of clowns, so whatever.
—Marc Snetiker, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2017
Most fares are less than $330, which is whatever-the-Norwegian-word-for-remarkable-is for flights that usually cost at least $750.
—Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2017
Dictionary Entries Near whatever
Cite this Entry
“Whatever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whatever. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whatever
1 of 2 pronoun
what·ev·er
hwät-ˈev-ər 
(ˌ)hwət-,
wät-,
(ˌ)wət-
1
: anything that
take whatever you need
2
: no matter what
whatever you do, don't cheat
3
: what entry 1 sense 1b
—used to express surprise or bewilderment
whatever made you think that
whatever
2 of 2 adjective1
: any and all : any … that
take whatever action is needed
2
: of any kind at all
no food whatever
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