every — English Dictionary

Determiner

1. All of a countable group (considered individually), without exception.

   Examples

   Every person in the room stood and cheered.

   She watches my every move.

   More examples (3)

   At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.[…]In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.

   Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.

   Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

2. Denotes equal spacing at a stated interval, or a proportion corresponding to such a spacing.

   Examples

   We stopped for refreshments every ten miles.

   The alarm is going off every few minutes.

   More examples (2)

   Every third bead was red, and the rest were blue. The sequence was thus red, blue, blue, red, blue, blue etc.

   Decimation originally meant the execution of every tenth soldier in a unit; that is, ten per cent of soldiers were killed.

3. Denotes an abundance of something.

   Usage

   • with certain nouns

   Examples

   We wish you every happiness in the future.

   He shows every sign of becoming an excellent player. I have every confidence in him.

   More examples (2)

   There is every reason why we shouldn't.

   The police will make every effort to trace the missing girl.

Adjective

1. (used of count nouns) each and all of the members of a group considered singly and without exception

   Examples

   every person is mortal

   every party is welcome

   More examples (2)

   had every hope of success

   every chance of winning

2. each and all of a series of entities or intervals as specified

   Examples

   every third seat

   every two hours