whoever

[huˈɛvə]

[huˈɛvɚ]

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Whoever is a word that refers to a person whose identity isn't known or isn't important in the situation.

When we use whoever, we often talk about situations where it doesn't matter who did something or who gets to do something. For example, let's say you're planning a party and one of your friends wants to know if they can bring their friend. You might say, "Whoever brings the most music to play is welcome to stay longer." In this case, whoever means any person who meets that condition - it doesn't matter which specific person. It's like saying, "Anyone who does that gets a prize!" Whoever is used in sentences where we don't care about the identity of the person involved.

How common is "whoever"?

Word whoever is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

pronoun

(interrogative) Who ever: an emphatic form of who.
Example: Whoever thought up that stupid idea?
(fused relative) Any person or persons that.
Example: Whoever breaks the law will be punished.
(fused relative) The person that (no matter who).
Example: I don't know what it is. Ask whoever put it there.
Regardless of the person or persons that.
Example: Whoever stole the painting, the police will catch the thief in no time.
Any person or persons.
Example: I don't care who gets it; give it to whoever.
Misspelling of who ever other than in interrogative use.
Example: *He is the tallest man whoever lived. (incorrect usage)