whichever

1 of 2

adjective

which·​ev·​er (h)wich-ˈe-vər How to pronounce whichever (audio)
: being whatever one or ones out of a group : no matter which
its soothing … effect will be the same whichever way you take itPunch

whichever

2 of 2

pronoun

: whatever one or ones out of a group
take two of the four elective subjects, whichever you prefer

Examples of whichever in a Sentence

Adjective Choose whichever one you want. He will support whichever candidate wins. Pronoun We can go on Tuesday or Friday, whichever you prefer. You may leave at 4:00 or when you've finished the job, whichever comes first.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Blindly backing whichever team is hot is a surefire way to lose money in this racket. Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2023 At the project's website, visitors can explore an interactive map that's layered with whichever types of data interest them. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2013 Like James, Tatum cooked whichever defender tried to stop him, too tall and too smooth for Bradley, Westbrook or Talen Horton-Tucker. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2021 Beyond the seaweed wrap and seasoned rice, filling a hand roll is part meal prep, part self-expression with your guests free to add whichever toppings are most appealing to them. Mike Rose, cleveland, 23 Sep. 2021 This can be easily replicated with whichever communications channel your company uses. Rutger Bruining, Forbes, 15 June 2021 But Ohio's chief medical officer, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, encouraged people to get whichever vaccine is available to them. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2021 White House officials, who briefed reporters on the condition that they not be identified by name, urged the public to get whichever vaccine is first available. Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2021 Health experts recommend, given the limited supplies, to get whichever vaccine is offered. Peter Loftus, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whichever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Pronoun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whichever was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near whichever

Cite this Entry

“Whichever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whichever. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

whichever

1 of 2 pronoun
which·​ev·​er hwich-ˈev-ər How to pronounce whichever (audio)
wich-
: whatever one or ones out of a group
whichever you prefer

whichever

2 of 2 adjective
: being whatever one or ones out of a group : no matter which
whichever way you go

More from Merriam-Webster on whichever

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