whenever

[ wen-ev-er, hwen-, wuhn-, hwuhn- ]

conjunction

1. at whatever time; at any time when:

   Come whenever you like.

2. when? (used emphatically):

   Whenever did he say that?

whenever

/ wɛnˈɛvə /

conjunction

1. subordinating at every or any time that; when

   I laugh whenever I see that

adverb

1. no matter when

   it'll be here, whenever you decide to come for it

2. informal.
   at an unknown or unspecified time

   I'll take it if it comes today, tomorrow, or whenever

3. an intensive form of when, used in questions

   whenever did he escape?

Word History and Origins

Origin of whenever¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; when, ever

Example Sentences

I’m an associate editor at Proceedings of the Royal Society B and, whenever I choose a reviewer, I’m always making sure to check their email addresses.

From Science Magazine

Instead of regularly updating targets whenever these projections changed, the last Conservative government chose to lock in housing targets based on projections made in 2014.

From BBC

When I'm skateboarding, whenever I would start thinking of the worst case scenario like if there's a rail going downstairs, like, "Oh, if I don't do that, then I'm gonna end up there, and my children will never be born."

From Salon

She left a footnote here in the musical book: “For the last eight years or so, whenever I perform it in concert, I sing ‘Meeting the man of my dreams / And then meeting his beautiful husband.’

From Salon

The group is also funding research into a medical device that could detect a swallowed battery without subjecting a child to radiation, which Hamsmith wants to see used whenever a child shows up with possible symptoms.

From Los Angeles Times