every

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adjective ev·ery \ ˈev-rē \

Definition of every

1 a :being each individual or part of a group without exception

b :being each in a series or succession

every few days

every once in a while

2 obsolete :being all taken severally

3 :being each within a range of possibilities

was given every chance

4 :complete, entire

we have every confidence in her

— every now and then or every now and again or every so often

:at intervals :occasionally

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Examples of every in a Sentence

I heard every word you said.
He devotes every spare moment to his hobby.
His every move was carefully watched.
She's beautiful in every way.
Ceramics of every kind were on display.

Recent Examples of every from the Web

And as a result, that’s going to reduce economic growth and the prosperity of virtually every American and every American family.

— WSJ, "Peace Out, Paris," 6 June 2017
NOW: Every June 1, hurricane season starts anew and locals are prompted to prepare for the worst -- stocking up on water, batteries and nonperishable food, and planning an evacuation route.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Remembering Hurricane Betsy, a New Orleans nightmare," 31 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of every

Middle English everich, every, from Old English ǣfre ǣlc, from ǣfre ever + ǣlc each

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

every Synonyms

Synonyms

any, each

Related Words

all; several, various; particular; respective, specific; either

Near Antonyms

neither

EVERY Defined for English Language Learners

every

play

adjective

Definition of every for English Language Learners

: including each person or thing in a group or series
—used to describe how often some repeated activity, event, etc., happens or is done
—used to describe how far apart the things in a series of things are placed from each other