whoever
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the person or people who do something — it doesn't matter who they are.
the person or persons who; used as a relative pronoun to refer to any individual who meets a certain condition.
Simple“Whoever finished the milk should buy some more today.”
In context“Whoever is responsible for the final draft must ensure that all citations are formatted according to the new style guide.”
PitfallWhoever do you think you are? Who ever do you think you are?In emphatic questions, 'who ever' is traditionally written as two words, though 'whoever' is increasingly common in informal writing.
Synonymsanyone whowhosoever - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
used to say that the identity of a person is not important or will not change the result.
regardless of which person; used to introduce a concessive clause where the specific identity of the subject does not alter the outcome.
Simple“Whoever calls the office today, tell them I am in a meeting.”
In context“Whoever may have leaked the documents, the damage to the company's reputation is already significant and difficult to repair.”
Synonymsno matter who - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a stronger way to say 'who' when you are surprised or confused.
an emphatic form of the interrogative 'who', expressing surprise, disbelief, or confusion.
Simple“Whoever would want to go outside in this terrible storm?”
In context“Whoever could have imagined that such a small startup would eventually dominate the global logistics market?”
Synonymswho on earth
“He hopes whoever is chosen as the new UN Secretary General and takes office at the start of next year will engage more effectively.”
“Sandra is, by her own description, always half-awake – listening for whoever might be coming for her four small children while they sleep.”
From Middle English whoever. By surface analysis, who + ever.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.