1
2
a
: free from variation : uniform
his disposition was even
b
3
4
a
: being any of the integers (such as −2, 0, and +2) that are divisible by two without leaving a remainder
b
: marked by an even number
c
: being a mathematical function such that f(x) = f(−x) where the value remains unchanged if the sign of the independent variable is reversed
6
: as likely as not : fifty-fifty
an even chance of winning
evenly
adverb
1
a
—used as an intensive to stress an extreme or highly unlikely condition or instance
so simple even a child can do it
b
—used as an intensive to stress the comparative degree
she did even better
c
—used as an intensive to indicate a small or minimum amount
didn't even try
d
—used as an intensive to emphasize the identity or character of something
forgot his car keys and even left the engine running
Synonyms
Examples of even in a Sentence
Adjective
We finally reached even ground after the long climb.
They slowed down and waited for him to draw even.
She spoke with a calm, even voice.
the even beat of the drum
Adverb
the blue whale is a huge, even awesome animal by any measure
I will love you even to the end of time.
Verb
even the filling before adding the top layer of the cake
the contention that producing more arms will even us with the enemy and therefore make us more secure
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Recent Examples on the Web
Jen Ator, Travel + Leisure, 19 Nov. 2023
Add dough strips: Spoon filling into prepared pie plate, smoothing to form an even surface; dot with butter.
—Marian Cooper Cairns, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
McNeill was the one keeping an even keel in those days.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Pecking order: After the New Year’s Six slots are filled, the Holiday Bowl gets the third pick after the Alamo and Las Vegas bowls in the Pac-12 (note that in even years, the Holiday picks after the Alamo Bowl and before the Las Vegas Bowl).
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023
Spread rice and sour cream mixture in an even layer in bottom of skillet.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2023
Part 4: India orders internet shutdowns more than any other country, blacking out entire states for weeks and even months at a time.
—Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
But these massive structures may be gone in a few years or even months if the plant’s owners, Tata Steel, and the British government have their way.
—Stanley Reed Francesca Jones, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2023
Some shoots are a matter of days, whereas some take months or even years.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2023
Condé Nast, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
Habba appeared to enjoy the exchange, even opting to continue the cross-examination when offered a break by the judge.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2023
But the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Monday that some hostages followed Israeli media and were even informed about various events.
—Gabe Joselow, NBC News, 27 Nov. 2023
Shop even more stand-out Cyber Week deals: Amazon deals | Hotel & flight deals | Shoe deals | Editor favorites | Nordstrom deals | Luggage deals | Tech deals | Camping deals | All travel gear deals
All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors.
—Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Nov. 2023
Don’t even bother to read the rest of this caption—just run to Lulu and grab as many hoodies, joggers, and bras as your cart can handle.
—Jake Smith, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023
Looking to make your home sweet home even sweeter this season?
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Occasionally, Jean-Jacques will even top her billowing mane with an actual crown, solidifying her confidence in her appearance.
—Audarshia Townsend, Parents, 27 Nov. 2023
In addition to questions over the use of force, Jennings also wondered out loud if an arrest for marijuana use was even necessary.
—Cristian Santana, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
Hicks, who replaced Hays in left field after the Orioles’ cleanup man left the game with a bruised left hip suffered in a collision at first base, evened the game with a single.
—Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2023
Orlando evened the match on the ensuing set piece in the 27th minute.
—oregonlive, 12 June 2023
The seven-time All-Pro came back from season-ending ankle surgery in 2022, and has recorded two-and-half sacks and eight tackles for losses for a Rams team that evened its record to 3-3 with a 26-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals last week.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
After dropping Friday’s opener, the Beavers evened the series with a 6-5 victory, using two big swings and a big bullpen effort by bulldog reliever Ben Ferrer to earn their 14th win in the last 17 games.
—Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 7 May 2023
The Miami Heat have evened the series against the Denver Nuggets.
—Sopan Deb Allison Zaucha, New York Times, 21 June 2023
The Heat have continued to say all the right things, all while the Celtics have evened the series.
—Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 28 May 2023
Flat Rock got the ball back on its 35 after Airport couldn’t convert a fourth down, and the Rams evened things up in just two plays, as Booms took a screen pass from Junge, eluded the initial hit, and ran to daylight, making it 14-14 with 3:43 remaining before halftime.
—Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 9 Sep. 2023
Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
Given the law of odds and evens that has governed the films, No. 5 should be a good one.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023
Water-repellent nylon fabric makes this bag perfect for both rainy days and sweaty adventures, and unlike most bags with adjustable straps that leave one long piece left hanging, this pack is made with a thin piece of elastic that evens out the loop for a more streamlined appearance.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2023
This Kosas tinted moisturizer is infused with avocado oil, meadowfoam oil, raspberry oil, jojoba oil, and more — so your skin will get a surge of hydration while the formula also soothes and evens out your complexion.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2023
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Adjective
The double-layer heating wire covers the entire back of your hand, your thumb, and each finger, providing a more even distribution of safe, comfortable heat.
—Jen Ator, Travel + Leisure, 19 Nov. 2023
Add dough strips: Spoon filling into prepared pie plate, smoothing to form an even surface; dot with butter.
—Marian Cooper Cairns, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
McNeill was the one keeping an even keel in those days.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Pecking order: After the New Year’s Six slots are filled, the Holiday Bowl gets the third pick after the Alamo and Las Vegas bowls in the Pac-12 (note that in even years, the Holiday picks after the Alamo Bowl and before the Las Vegas Bowl).
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023
Spread rice and sour cream mixture in an even layer in bottom of skillet.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2023
Part 4: India orders internet shutdowns more than any other country, blacking out entire states for weeks and even months at a time.
—Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
But these massive structures may be gone in a few years or even months if the plant’s owners, Tata Steel, and the British government have their way.
—Stanley Reed Francesca Jones, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2023
Some shoots are a matter of days, whereas some take months or even years.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2023
Adverb
The Slice Box Cutter is the only thing that makes dealing with Box Mountain even remotely feasible.
—Condé Nast, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
Habba appeared to enjoy the exchange, even opting to continue the cross-examination when offered a break by the judge.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2023
But the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Monday that some hostages followed Israeli media and were even informed about various events.
—Gabe Joselow, NBC News, 27 Nov. 2023
Shop even more stand-out Cyber Week deals: Amazon deals | Hotel & flight deals | Shoe deals | Editor favorites | Nordstrom deals | Luggage deals | Tech deals | Camping deals | All travel gear deals
All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors.
—Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Nov. 2023
Don’t even bother to read the rest of this caption—just run to Lulu and grab as many hoodies, joggers, and bras as your cart can handle.
—Jake Smith, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023
Looking to make your home sweet home even sweeter this season?
—Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Occasionally, Jean-Jacques will even top her billowing mane with an actual crown, solidifying her confidence in her appearance.
—Audarshia Townsend, Parents, 27 Nov. 2023
In addition to questions over the use of force, Jennings also wondered out loud if an arrest for marijuana use was even necessary.
—Cristian Santana, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
Verb
After defeating the Cardinals in October, the Rams evened their record at 3-3 and sparked optimism that a playoff berth was in reach.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
Hicks, who replaced Hays in left field after the Orioles’ cleanup man left the game with a bruised left hip suffered in a collision at first base, evened the game with a single.
—Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2023
Orlando evened the match on the ensuing set piece in the 27th minute.
—oregonlive, 12 June 2023
The seven-time All-Pro came back from season-ending ankle surgery in 2022, and has recorded two-and-half sacks and eight tackles for losses for a Rams team that evened its record to 3-3 with a 26-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals last week.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
After dropping Friday’s opener, the Beavers evened the series with a 6-5 victory, using two big swings and a big bullpen effort by bulldog reliever Ben Ferrer to earn their 14th win in the last 17 games.
—Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 7 May 2023
The Miami Heat have evened the series against the Denver Nuggets.
—Sopan Deb Allison Zaucha, New York Times, 21 June 2023
The Heat have continued to say all the right things, all while the Celtics have evened the series.
—Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 28 May 2023
Flat Rock got the ball back on its 35 after Airport couldn’t convert a fourth down, and the Rams evened things up in just two plays, as Booms took a screen pass from Junge, eluded the initial hit, and ran to daylight, making it 14-14 with 3:43 remaining before halftime.
—Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 9 Sep. 2023
Noun
Added niacinamide helps sooth the skin and evens skin tone, while squalane hydrates and smooths.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
Given the law of odds and evens that has governed the films, No. 5 should be a good one.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023
Water-repellent nylon fabric makes this bag perfect for both rainy days and sweaty adventures, and unlike most bags with adjustable straps that leave one long piece left hanging, this pack is made with a thin piece of elastic that evens out the loop for a more streamlined appearance.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2023
This Kosas tinted moisturizer is infused with avocado oil, meadowfoam oil, raspberry oil, jojoba oil, and more — so your skin will get a surge of hydration while the formula also soothes and evens out your complexion.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'even.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Old English efen; akin to Old High German eban even
Adverb
Middle English, from Old English efne, from efen, adjective
Noun
Middle English even, eve, from Old English ǣfen
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2c
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of even was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing even
Dictionary Entries Near even
Cite this Entry
“Even.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/even. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
even
2 of 4 adjective1
2
a
: equal in size, number, or amount
even distances apart
b
: staying the same over a period of time
even breathing
3
a
: without advantage on either side : fair
start out even
an even trade
b
: leaving nothing due on either side
now we're even
c
: showing neither profit nor loss
4
a
: being any number that can be divided by two without remainder
2, 4, 6, 8, … are even numbers
b
: marked by an even number
an even page of a book
5
: being whole or exact without a remainder or fractional part
an even dollar
an even dozen
evenly
adverb
even
3 of 4 adverb1
a
: exactly sense 1, precisely
believes even as we do
b
: to a degree that extends : fully
faithful even to death
c
: at the very same time
raining even as the sun came out
2
: indeed
willing, even eager, to help
3
—used to stress an extreme or highly unlikely condition or instance
so simple even a child can do it
4
: to a greater extent or degree
even better
5
—used to stress the smallness of an amount or effort
didn't even offer to help
gave it not even a glance
More from Merriam-Webster on even
Nglish: Translation of even for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of even for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about even
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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