whoever

[ hoo-ev-er ]

pronoun

objective: whomeverpossessive: whosever

1. whatever person; anyone that:

   Whoever did it should be proud. Ask whoever is there. Tell it to whomever you like.

2. no matter who:

   I won't do it, whoever asks.

3. who? what person? (used to express astonishment, disbelief, disdain, etc.):

   Whoever is that? Whoever told you such a thing?

whoever

/ huːˈɛvə /

pronoun

1. any person who; anyone that

   whoever wants it can have it

2. no matter who

   I'll come round tomorrow, whoever may be here

3. an intensive form of who, used in questions

   whoever could have thought that?

4. informal.
   an unknown or unspecified person

   give those to John, or Cathy, or whoever

Word History and Origins

Origin of whoever¹

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; who, ever

Example Sentences

He added: “The displaced came as guests and we welcome them. But if there is someone stranger here, whoever he is - it might be my own child and I’m not aware of him being in Hezbollah - and they target him, and children and women get killed, isn’t that pitiful?”

From BBC

The bill, first introduced by Ossé in 2023, would have required whoever hired a real estate broker to pay their fee.

From Salon

This likely explains why Trump is demanding that the new Senate majority leader, whoever that runs out to be — Mitch McConnell is retiring from GOP leadership, at long last — will ensure that his nominations are handled by recess appointments rather than the usual constitutionally required confirmation process.

From Salon

“This top just feels like pure punk lives in it ... Whoever had this found it for a reason, and I’m sure it’s lived 100 lives before it got to me, and I like to think about the souls that inhabit it.”

From Los Angeles Times

Whoever had this found it for a reason, and I’m sure it’s lived 100 lives before it got to me, and I like to think about the souls that inhabit it.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• someone