# everybody

/ˈɛvɹiˌbɑdi/ (US) · /ˈɛvɹɪbˌɒdi/ (UK) · CEFR A1 · Pronoun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/everybody
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

every person in a group. You use this when you are talking about all the people in a specific place or the whole world.

For teachers: every person; all people in a particular group or in general. Functions as a singular pronoun and requires a singular verb form despite referring to multiple people.

## Examples

- Everybody in the room is listening to the music.
- Everybody at the office was invited to the party, so the building was completely empty by five o'clock.
- While the policy was designed to benefit everybody, the administrative delays meant that only a fraction of the population received their payments on time.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Everybody are happy" but "Everybody is happy" — Despite referring to a group of people, 'everybody' is grammatically singular and requires a singular verb.

## Usage notes

- Always takes a singular verb (e.g., 'everybody is' not 'everybody are').

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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.