Meaning of “every” in the English Dictionary

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"every" in English

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everydeterminer

uk ​ /ˈev.ri/ us ​ /ˈev.ri/

every determiner (ALL)

A1 used when referring to all the members of a group of three or more:

The police want to interview every employee about the theft.
The show will be broadcast every weekday morning between 9.00 and 10.00.
We're open every day except Sunday.
I've been out every night this week.
Every time I go to London I get caught in a traffic jam.
Ten pence is donated to charity for every bottle sold.
These paintings may look like the real thing, but (each and) every one of them is a fake.
That salmon was very expensive so make sure you eat up every (single) bit.
every bit as

› equally as:

Opponents of the war are considered every bit as patriotic as supporters.
every last

› every:

We catch the majority of people, but hunting down every last tax evader is impossible.
every which way US

› in all directions:

The game was hindered by a fierce wind that swept the ball every which way.
in every way

› in all ways:

This movie is in every way a masterpiece of cinematography.
(your) every need

› all the things that you need or want:

There'll be an assistant there to see to your every need.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

every determiner (REPEATED)

A1 used to show that something is repeated regularly:

Computers can perform millions of calculations every second.
Every four minutes a car is stolen in this city.
Every day in the US 25 people are murdered with handguns.
Every few kilometres we passed a burned out jeep or truck at the side of the road.
The conference takes place every other/second year.
every now and again/then

C1 sometimes but not often:

Every now and again/then they'll have a beer together.
every so often

C2 sometimes but not often:

Every so often I treat myself to a meal in an expensive restaurant.

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every determiner (GREATEST)

B2 the greatest possible or that can be imagined:

I'd like to wish you every success in your new job/happiness in your new home.
She has every reason to be unhappy after losing her job and her home.
You had every opportunity to make a complaint.
Every effort is being made to minimize civilian casualties.
She has every right to be proud of her tremendous achievements.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Grammar

All and every + nounsThe meaning of all and every is very similar but we use them in different ways. We use all with plural and uncountable nouns and every with singular nouns: …
All (of) theWe can use all and all of before articles (the, a/an), demonstratives (this, that) and possessives (our, his) but we can’t use every before them: …
All day, every dayWe use all day, all week, all month to mean ‘one entire day/week/month’: …
All or every: typical errors …
Any or every?We use any and every to talk about the total numbers of things in a group. Their meanings are not exactly the same: …
EveryEvery is a determiner. …
Every meaning ‘each member of a group’We use every + singular noun to refer individually to all the members of a complete group of something: …
Every: regular situationsWe use every with a singular noun to refer to something that happens regularly: …
Every singleWe often use single with every to emphasise each member of a complete group of people or things: …
Every one or everyone?We use every one, written as two words, to refer back to a noun we have already mentioned: …
Every otherWe use every other to mean ‘alternate’: …
Every: typical errors …
Each or every?We use each to refer to individual things in a group or a list of two or more things. It is often similar in meaning to every, but we use every to refer to a group or list of three or more things. …

Idiom(s)

every minute
(your) every move
(your) every word
on/at every corner

(Definition of “every” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"every" in American English

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everyadjective

us ​ /ˈev·ri/

every adjective (ALL)

› used when referring to all the members of a group of three or more considered separately:

Every employee will receive a bonus this year.
They’re open every day.
Make sure you eat every bit of dinner.
Tour guides tend to travelers’ every need (= all their needs).

every adjective (REPEATED)

› used to show that something is repeated regularly:

Computers perform millions of calculations every second.
In many places, malnutrition affects every third child (= one child in three).

every adjective (GREATEST)

› the greatest possible:

Every effort is being made to fix it.
She has every right to be proud of herself.

Idiom(s)

every inch of something
every nook and cranny
every now and then
every once in a while
every other something
every single

(Definition of “every” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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