everyman

noun

ev·​ery·​man ˈev-rē-ˌman How to pronounce everyman (audio)
variants often Everyman
Synonyms of everymannext
: the typical or ordinary person

Examples of everyman in a Sentence

an actor who is seen as the image of everyman despite his superstar status, in his movies the actor is able to play the role of an everyman quite convincingly
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There is no excusing his remarks about Childress, whose everyman, never-back-down persona is something with which many fans identify. Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026 The controversial 1974 cult classic Death Wish was a milestone film in the vigilante justice genre that lives on everywhere today, from Batman films to John Wick, feeding audiences’ insatiable appetite for the everyman pushed to the brink who finally takes matters into his own hands. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025 The straight-up revenge-o-matic nature of the plot, though true to the book, was somewhat predictably amped up for Arnie’s fanbase, but the best parts of Wright’s version are more subtle than that and play to Powell’s strengths as a vulnerable everyman. Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025 O’Neill was an everyman, never forgetting his middle-class roots. Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for everyman

Word History

Etymology

Everyman, allegorical character in The Summoning of Everyman, 15th century English morality play

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of everyman was in 1901

Cite this Entry

“Everyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/everyman. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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