# whoever

/huˈɛvɝ/ (US) · /huːˈɛvɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/whoever
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. any person who

pronoun · CEFR B1

the person or people who do something — it doesn't matter who they are.

For teachers: the person or persons who; used as a relative pronoun to refer to any individual who meets a certain condition.

- Whoever finished the milk should buy some more today.
- Whoever is responsible for the final draft must ensure that all citations are formatted according to the new style guide.

### 2. no matter who

pronoun · CEFR B2

used to say that the identity of a person is not important or will not change the result.

For teachers: regardless of which person; used to introduce a concessive clause where the specific identity of the subject does not alter the outcome.

- Whoever calls the office today, tell them I am in a meeting.
- Whoever may have leaked the documents, the damage to the company's reputation is already significant and difficult to repair.

### 3. emphatic who

pronoun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a stronger way to say 'who' when you are surprised or confused.

For teachers: an emphatic form of the interrogative 'who', expressing surprise, disbelief, or confusion.

- Whoever would want to go outside in this terrible storm?
- Whoever could have imagined that such a small startup would eventually dominate the global logistics market?

## Examples

- Whoever broke the window must pay for it.
- The prize will be awarded to whoever finishes the marathon in the shortest amount of time.
- The committee decided that whoever is chosen for the leadership role must demonstrate a long-term commitment to the organization's core values and community outreach programs.

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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.