every
every Lexical Profile
every Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Used before a singular countable noun to refer to all the individual members of a set or group of three or more without exception.
"Every student in the classroom received a copy of the syllabus."
Used with a number or time expression to indicate the regular interval of time or space at which something occurs.
"The commuter train departs from the central station every twenty minutes."
All possible; the greatest possible degree of confidence, reason, or assistance.
"We have every reason to believe that the scientific expedition will succeed."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although 'every' refers to all members of a plural group, it is a distributive determiner that grammatically modifies singular countable nouns and requires a singular verb (e.g., 'Every student has a book'). Unlike 'each', which can refer to two or more items and function as a pronoun, 'every' is strictly used before a noun and refers to groups of three or more.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'everich', a contraction of Old English 'æfre ælc' (literally 'ever each'), where 'æfre' (ever) was used to emphasize 'ælc' (each).