English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From where +‎ ever.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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wherever (not comparable)

  1. (interrogative) Where ever; an emphatic form of where.
    Wherever have you been all my life?
  2. (informal) In, at or to any place that one likes or chooses.
    I don't care what you do with it; just put it wherever.
    Where do you want to have lunch? — Wherever; I don't mind.
  3. (fused relative) The place (no matter where) in, at or to which.
    He's back from wherever he's been hiding.
    Go home to wherever you belong.

Usage notes

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  • Used emphatically, wherever may be two words (where ever) when used in questions, though the single word is more common, especially in US usage.

Synonyms

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Translations

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Conjunction

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wherever

  1. Regardless of the place in, at or to which.
    Wherever you go, I’ll find you.
  2. In, at or to any place (that); anywhere.
    You can sit wherever you like.
  3. In, at or to all places or situations (that); everywhere.
    Add quotations wherever they are needed.
    I see mistakes wherever I look.
    Our charity has limited funds, but we help wherever we can.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      If the afternoon was fine they strolled together in the park, very slowly, and with pauses to draw breath wherever the ground sloped upward. The slightest effort made the patient cough.
  4. Used to show that one does not know where someone or something is located.
    She lives in Puddletown, wherever that is.

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also

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(Here-, there-, and where- words):
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts across after again against along among amongst anent[1] around as at beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid[2] of on out over so soever somever through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards with withal within without
hence henceafter henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom
here hereabout hereabouts hereafter hereagainst hereamong hereamongst hereanent hereat hereby herefor herefore hereforth hereforward herefowards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover heresoever herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto hereupon herewith herewithal herewithin
hither hitherto hitherunto hitherward hitherwards
thence thenceafter thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom thenceout
there thereabout thereabouts thereacross thereafter thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound thereat therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover theresoever therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
thither thitherinsoever thitherto thitherward thitherwards
when whenabout whenabouts whenas whenever whenso whensoever whensomever
whence whenceafter whencever whenceforth whenceforward whencefrom whenceward whencewards
where whereabout whereabouts whereafter whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon wherewith wherewithal wherewithin wherewithout
whither whitherever whitherinsoever whitherso whitherto whithertofore whitherward whitherwards