# every

/ˈɛvɝi/ (US) · /ˈɛvɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/every
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. all members of a group

determiner · CEFR A1

used to refer to all the people or things in a group, one by one.

For teachers: used to refer to all individual members of a set without exception. While it refers to a group, it is grammatically singular and takes a singular verb.

- Every student in the class has a different book to read.
- Every citizen has a responsibility to participate in the democratic process, regardless of their personal political leanings.

### 2. how often something happens

determiner · CEFR A2

used to show how often something happens or the distance between things.

For teachers: indicates frequency or regular intervals in time or space.

- The bus comes every ten minutes during the morning.
- The committee meets every third Thursday of the month to review the latest financial reports.

### 3. complete or total

determiner · CEFR B2

used to show that something is complete or that you have a lot of a feeling.

For teachers: used to emphasize the completeness or high degree of a quality or emotion.

- I have every confidence that you will do a great job.
- The legal team made every effort to ensure the contract was signed before the end of the fiscal year.

## Examples

- I go for a walk every morning.
- The teacher gave a new textbook to every student in the classroom.
- Every citizen has a responsibility to participate in the democratic process to ensure that the government remains accountable to the people it serves.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.