Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

always

play
adverb al·ways \ ˈȯl-wēz , -wəz , -(ˌ)wāz also ˈȯ- \

Definition of always

1 :at all times :invariably
  • always smiling
2 :forever
  • will love you always
3 :at any rate :in any event
  • You can always try again if it doesn't work this time.

See always defined for English-language learners

See always defined for kids

People Are Reading

image536372841
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Examples of always in a Sentence

  1. He always tries, but he doesn't always succeed.

  2. It's always a pleasure to see you.

  3. I can always tell when he's upset.

  4. This area is always filled with tourists.

  5. Things won't always go as planned.

  6. You're always welcome to stay with us.

  7. He has always been a good friend to me.

  8. Life won't always be this easy.

  9. I always thought they'd get married some day, but they never did.

  10. Isn't that what you've always wanted?

Recent Examples of always from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'always.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of always

Middle English alwayes, from alwey

always Synonyms

Synonyms
aye (also ay), consistently, constantly, continually, ever, forever, incessantly, invariably, night and day, perpetually, unfailingly, at every turn, at all events, at any rate, at least, in any case, in any event
Antonyms
ne'er, never
Related Words
commonly, frequently, oft, often, oftentimes (or ofttimes), recurrently, repeatedly; continuously, steadily, uninterruptedly, unremittingly; dependably, generally, habitually, normally, ordinarily, regularly, routinely, typically, usually; inevitably; eternally, everlastingly
Near Antonyms
intermittently, occasionally, periodically, sometimes, sporadically; infrequently, rarely, seldom, unusually; variously

Phrases Related to ALWAYS

Related Phrases

ALWAYS Defined for Kids

always

play
adverb al·ways \ ˈȯl-wēz , -wəz , -wāz \

Definition of always for Students

1 :at all times
  • My dad always knows the answer.
2 :throughout all time :forever
  • I'll remember it always.
3 :often, frequently, or repeatedly
  • People always forget my name.

Learn More about always

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for always Spanish Central: Translation of always Nglish: Translation of always for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of always for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up always? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

holus-bolus

play

all at once

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. otherwise "in other respects"

  2. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  3. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  4. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

  5. allegory No spoilers!

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

always

Test Your Vocabulary

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

  • stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
  • Which is a synonym of fuliginous?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image536372841
Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc
"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

alt-59bff395cf879
What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Its recent usage is hard to shrug off.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
name-that-color-logo
Name that Color!

NEW! Additional colors! More obscure than before!

Take the quiz
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: always in a Sentence