whoever en · PRON
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /huˈɛvɚ/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- (US) audio
- /huˈɛvə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English whoever. By surface analysis, who + -ever.
Meanings
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(interrogative, nominative) Who ever: an emphatic form of who.
Whoever thought up that stupid idea?
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(nominative, qualifier:fused relative) Any person or persons that.
Whoever breaks the law will be punished.
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(nominative, qualifier:fused relative) The person that (no matter who).
Whoever robbed that old lady ought to be locked up.
I don't know what it is. Ask whoever put it there.
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(nominative) Regardless of the person or persons that.
Whoever stole the painting, the police will catch the thief in no time.
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(informal, nominative) Any person or persons.
I don't care who gets it; give it to whoever.
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(alt-of, misspelling, nominative) Misspelling of who ever other than in interrogative use.
He is the tallest man whoever lived. (incorrect usage)
When the gays can claim the toughest bastard whoever pulled on a football boot as one of their own, ...
2014 July 13, Peter FitzSimons, “Ian Thorpe acknowledges he's gay, let's hope he's now happy as well”, in Sydney Morning Herald:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| whoe'er | alternative, poetic | lexicographic | |
| whomever | Case=Acc | lexicographic | |
| whosever | Poss=Yes | lexicographic | |
| whoëver | alternative, obsolete, rare | lexicographic |
Deriveds
whoever's · whoever smelt it dealt it
Relateds
whomever · whatever · wherever · whosoever · whenever · nobody
Translations (49)
fr qui que ce soit qui (any person or persons that) · es cualquiera (any person or persons that) · es quienquier (any person or persons that) · eo kiu ajn (any person or persons that) · hu bárki (any person or persons that) · it chiunque (any person or persons that) · el όποιος (any person or persons that) · grc ὁστισοῦν (any person or persons that) · es cualquier (any person or persons that) · ar مَنْ (any person or persons that) · ru кто́ бы ни́ бы́ло (any person or persons that) · hu akárki (any person or persons that) · ru кто уго́дно (any person or persons that) · es quien (any person or persons that) · la quisquis (any person or persons that) · la quicumque (any person or persons that) · svs ai (any person or persons that) · mt kulmin (any person or persons that) · ro oricare (any person or persons that) · da enhver som (any person or persons that) · da hvem der end (any person or persons that) · grc ὅστις (any person or persons that) · bg който и да е (any person or persons that) · es quienquiera (any person or persons that) · sip ཀ་ཨིན་རུང (any person or persons that) · rup tsenushcari (any person or persons that) · ga cibé (any person or persons that) · nl wie ook (dan) (any person or persons that) · nb enhver som (any person or persons that) · pl ktokolwiek (any person or persons that) · fi kuka ikinä (any person or persons that) · gd ge be cò (any person or persons that) · tl sinuman (any person or persons that) · pt quem (any person or persons that) · es quien sea (any person or persons that) · ru кто́ бы ни (any person or persons that) · fr quiconque (any person or persons that) · id siapa pun (any person or persons that) · ga pé (any person or persons that) · nci āquin (any person or persons that) · de wer immer (any person or persons that) · pon mehmen (any person or persons that) · fi kuka tahansa (any person or persons that) · nb den som (any person or persons that) · de wer auch immer (any person or persons that) · uga 𐎎𐎐𐎋 (any person or persons that) · uga 𐎎𐎐 (any person or persons that) · es cualesquiera (any person or persons that) · pt quem quer que (any person or persons that)