whatever

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1. Whatever is written as one word when it is an indefinite relative pronoun or adjective used in statements or commands:

Whatever you're up to during the snowy season, a wonderful warm woolly makes the perfect winter wear—Hair Flair, 1992

They make it harder to discuss differences openly, and to take a stand against racism whenever and in whatever form it arises—Times, 2007.

It is also used with concessive force equivalent to 'regardless of what'

(Whatever Ned Kelly was really like...he can scarcely have been like Mr Jagger—New Statesman, 1970)

, and elliptically (with the continuation omitted) in informal uses such as:

People want a kind of more adult conversation instead of just talking about a policy, be it tuition fees or foundation hospitals or whatever—Scotland on Sunday, 2003.

2. A comma is sometimes needed to clarify the meaning when a sentence begins with a whatever-clause, especially when the verb of the main clause can be understood either intransitively or as referring back to whatever: Whatever they have done, they are now leaving means 'they are leaving (intransitive), regardless of what they have done', whereas Whatever they have done they are now leaving means 'they are leaving (transitive) whatever it is they have done'.

3. Whatever is also the correct form when used as an adverb to strengthen negative statements:

There is no reason whatever not to seize this opportunity and practice with greater and greater exertion—Buddhist website, British English 2000.

4. What ever is written as two words when ever is used as an intensifying word and the expression as a whole is equivalent to what on earth, usually in direct questions:

'Pardon me asking, sir, but what ever happened to your pilot's licence?'—J. Neale, 1993.

See ever ¹.

Previous:	what, wharf, wh-
Next:	whence, whither, whenever, when ever, where-

IN BRIEF: One or some or every or all without specification.

Whatever you are be a good one. — Abraham Lincoln.

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sign description: The open 5-hands pass back and forth across each other repeatedly with the fingers hitting each other.

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For a list of words related to whatever, see:

• Approximations and Generalizations
• Absolutes and Guarantees
• Interjections

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See words rhyming with "whatever."

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
pron. - hvad end, alt hvad, ligemeget hvad, hvilken end, hvad
det. - hvadend, alt hvad
adv. - i hvert fald, under alle omstændigheder
adj. - absolut

Nederlands (Dutch)
wat dan ook, van alles, wat

Français (French)
pron. - ce qui, ce que, tout ce qui, tout ce que, quoi que (+ subj), qu'est ce que/qui, toute(s) sorte(s) de, n'importe où ailleurs, n'importe quoi d'autre
det. - tout/tous/toutes, quels que soient, quelle que soit, quel ? (de surprise), qu'est-ce que ? (de surprise)
adv. - pas la moindre, pas du tout, la moindre (chance)
adj. - n'importe quel, n'importe quoi, tous les, tout, n'importe qui, quiconque

Deutsch (German)
pron. - was für ... auch, was auch immer
adj. - was für ... auch, überhaupt
det. - alles was
adv. - welch...

Ελληνική (Greek)
pron. - οιοσδήποτε, οποιοσδήποτε, οτιδήποτε, ποιος; τι (άραγε);, ό, τι κι αν
adj. - οποιουδήποτε είδους ή βαθμού, οποιοσδήποτε κι αν

Italiano (Italian)
qualsiasi, qualsiasi cosa

Português (Portuguese)
pron. - qualquer
adj. - de qualquer número, de qualquer valor

Русский (Russian)
какой бы ни, любой, какой бы то ни было, чтобы ни, какой-нибудь, никакой, вообще не

Español (Spanish)
pron. - cualquier cosa, lo que, todo lo que, que
det. - cualquier cosa, lo que, todo lo que
adv. - de ninguna manera, de forma alguna
adj. - cualquier, de cualquier clase, cualquiera que sea, ninguno, de ninguna clase

Svenska (Swedish)
pron. - vad än, vilken än, allt vad, alls, över huvud taget
adj. - vad än, vilken än, allt vad, alls, över huvud taget

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
凡是..., 无论什么, 无论怎样的, 什么也, 无论哪一种的, 无论怎样地

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
pron. - 凡是..., 無論什麼
det. - 無論怎樣的, 什麼也, 無論哪一種的
adv. - 無論怎樣地
adj. - 無論怎樣的, 什麼也, 無論哪一種的

한국어 (Korean)
pron. - ~하는 것은 무엇이든, 무엇을 ~하든지
det. - 어떤, 어느
adv. - 전혀 (부정 의미를 강조), 무엇이든
adj. - ~하는 모든, 어떤 ~이라도

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - …するどんな…でも, どんな…でも, 少しの…も, 少しでも
pron. - …するものは何でも, 何が…しても, 一体何が

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ضمير) كل ما, أي شي (صفه) مهما يكن, وغير ذلك, على الإطلاق, كيفما‏

עברית (Hebrew)
pron. - ‮כלשהו, איזשהו, לא משנה מה, כלל, מה ש-, כל מה‬
det. - ‮כלשהו, איזשהו, לא משנה מה, כלל, מה ש-, כל מה, כל מידה או גודל‬
adv. - ‮כל מה, מה שלא יהיה, כלל‬
adj. - ‮לא חשוב איזה, כל מידה או גודל, מה שלא יהיה, כל מה‬

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