forever
forever Lexical Profile
forever Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
For all future time; for always or permanently.
"The discovery of penicillin changed the practice of modern medicine forever."
Continually, incessantly, or persistently (typically used with progressive verb tenses to express annoyance or emphasis).
"He is forever losing his house keys right before we need to leave for work."
• noun
An extremely long or seemingly endless period of time.
"It took forever for the customer service representative to answer the phone."
• adjective
Lasting or intended to last for an indefinitely long time; permanent or enduring (used before a noun, such as in 'forever home').
"The animal shelter worked tirelessly to find a loving forever home for the rescued terrier."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, the two-word spelling 'for ever' is traditionally maintained in formal contexts, whereas American English universally uses the single word 'forever' (except in the phrase 'for ever and ever').
• Rhymes for forever
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English during the late 14th century from the prepositional phrase 'for ever', combining Old English 'for' (meaning 'for the duration of') and 'ǣfre' (meaning 'always' or 'at any time').