whatever

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/hwɒtˈɛvər/

US:USA pronunciation: IPAUSA pronunciation: IPA/hwʌtˈɛvɚ, hwɑt-, hwət-, wʌt-, wɑt-, wət-/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(hwut evər, hwot-, hwət-, wut-, wot-, wət-)


WordReference Collins English Usage © 2026
whatever
Whatever can be a pronoun, a determiner, or an adverb.
used as a pronoun or determiner
You use whatever as a pronoun or determiner to refer to anything or everything of a particular kind.
I read whatever I could find about the course.
You can buy whatever ingredients you need from the market.
You can also use whatever to say that something is true in all possible circumstances.
Whatever happens, I'll be back by five.
Whatever type of garden you have, you can have fun growing your own vegetables.
used as an adverb
You use whatever after nothing or after a noun phrase beginning with no to emphasize that there is nothing of a particular kind.
He knew nothing whatever about it.
There is no scientific evidence whatever to support this view.
used in questions
Whatever is sometimes used in questions to express surprise.
Whatever is the matter?
Whatever do you want to go up there for?
However, many people consider this form to be incorrect, and it is better to write what ever as two separate words.
What ever does it mean?
used as an informal response
In informal conversation, people sometimes use whatever as a response, to show that they do not care or have no opinion about something. This use can sound rude.
‘Shall we get a pizza tonight?’ – ‘Whatever. I don’t mind.'
‘You really should try to be more organized with your schoolwork.’ – ‘Yeah, whatever.’
'whatever' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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