Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Even

//ˈiː.vən// adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Flat and level.

    "Clear out those rocks. The surface must be even."

  2. 2
    Without great variation.

    "Despite her fear, she spoke in an even voice."

  3. 3
    Equal in proportion, quantity, size, etc.

    "The distribution of food must be even."

  4. 4
    Of an integer, divisible by two. not-comparable

    "Four, fourteen and forty are even numbers."

  5. 5
    Of a number, convenient for rounding other numbers to; for example, ending in a zero. informal

    "Coles. How many shares have you bought, Mr. Garfinkle? Garfinkle. One hundred and ninety-six thousand.[…] Jorgenson. […] How'd you figure out to buy such an odd amount? Why not two hundred thousand — nice even number. Thought you liked nice even numbers."

Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    On equal monetary terms; neither owing nor being owed.
  2. 7
    On equal terms of a moral sort; quits. colloquial

    "You biffed me back at the barn, and I biffed you here—so now we're even."

  3. 8
    Parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit.

    "And shall lay thee even with the ground."

  4. 9
    Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure. obsolete

    "I know my life so even."

  5. 10
    Associate; fellow; of the same condition. obsolete

    "His even servant."

Adjective
  1. 1
    equal in degree or extent or amount; or equally matched or balanced wordnet
  2. 2
    of the score in a contest wordnet
  3. 3
    being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e. even with) wordnet
  4. 4
    divisible by two wordnet
  5. 5
    occurring at fixed intervals wordnet
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    symmetrically arranged wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    Exactly; just; fully. archaic, not-comparable

    "I fulfilled my instructions even as I had promised."

  2. 2
    In reality (used to imply an extreme example in the case mentioned). not-comparable

    "Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes."

  3. 3
    Used to emphasise a comparative. not-comparable

    "I was strong before, but now I am even stronger."

  4. 4
    Used to indicate a further degree of comparison. not-comparable

    "Bob is taller than Alice, but Cameron is even taller than Bob."

  5. 5
    Rather; that is (used to signal a correction of a previous utterance). not-comparable

    "My favorite actor is Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicholson, even."

Adverb
  1. 1
    used as an intensive especially to indicate something unexpected wordnet
  2. 2
    to a greater degree or extent; used with comparisons wordnet
  3. 3
    in spite of; notwithstanding wordnet
  4. 4
    to the full extent wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A Tungusic language spoken by the Evens in Siberia and the Russian Far East.
Noun
  1. 1
    An even number. diminutive

    "So let's see. There are two evens here and three odds."

  2. 2
    Evening. archaic, poetic

    "We'll meet at even, when the sun is set."

  3. 3
    An ethnic Even: a member of an indigenous people living in Siberia and the Russian Far East.
  4. 4
    the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall) wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To make flat and level. transitive

    "We need to even this playing field; the west goal is too low."

  2. 2
    make even or more even wordnet
  3. 3
    To equal or equate; to make the same. obsolete, transitive

    "The Engliſh Earl [William Longespée the Younger], though he ſtood on the lower ground in point of birth, yet conceived himſelf to even him [Robert I, Count of Artois] in valour and martiall knowledge."

  4. 4
    become even or more even wordnet
  5. 5
    To be equal. intransitive, obsolete

    "Thrice nine evens twenty seven."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    make level or straight wordnet
  2. 7
    To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits. obsolete, transitive

    "We need to even the score."

  3. 8
    To set right; to complete. obsolete, transitive
  4. 9
    To act up to; to keep pace with. obsolete, transitive

    "Prithee away, There's more to be considered: but we'll even All that good time will give us."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English even, from Old English efn (“flat; level, even, equal”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)em-no- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian íeuwen (“even, flat”), West Frisian even (“even”), Alemannic German ëben (“even”), Cimbrian ébane (“even”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen (“leveled”), German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Icelandic jafn (“even”), Norwegian Bokmål jevn (“even, smooth”), Norwegian Nynorsk jamn (“even, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Gothic 𐌹𐌱𐌽𐍃 (ibns, “even”), Old Cornish eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic (“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt (“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अम्नस् (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”). The verb descends from Middle English evenen, from Old English efnan; the adverb from Middle English evene, from Old English efne. The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (Latin imāgō (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यम (yamá, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view. For the meaning development compare with Latin aequus (“equal, level, even, flat, horizontal”), Russian ро́вный (róvnyj, “even, level, flat, smooth”), ра́вный (rávnyj, “equal”), по́ровну (pórovnu, “in equal parts”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English even, from Old English efn (“flat; level, even, equal”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)em-no- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian íeuwen (“even, flat”), West Frisian even (“even”), Alemannic German ëben (“even”), Cimbrian ébane (“even”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen (“leveled”), German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Icelandic jafn (“even”), Norwegian Bokmål jevn (“even, smooth”), Norwegian Nynorsk jamn (“even, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Gothic 𐌹𐌱𐌽𐍃 (ibns, “even”), Old Cornish eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic (“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt (“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अम्नस् (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”). The verb descends from Middle English evenen, from Old English efnan; the adverb from Middle English evene, from Old English efne. The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (Latin imāgō (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यम (yamá, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view. For the meaning development compare with Latin aequus (“equal, level, even, flat, horizontal”), Russian ро́вный (róvnyj, “even, level, flat, smooth”), ра́вный (rávnyj, “equal”), по́ровну (pórovnu, “in equal parts”).

Etymology 3

From Middle English even, from Old English efn (“flat; level, even, equal”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)em-no- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian íeuwen (“even, flat”), West Frisian even (“even”), Alemannic German ëben (“even”), Cimbrian ébane (“even”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen (“leveled”), German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Icelandic jafn (“even”), Norwegian Bokmål jevn (“even, smooth”), Norwegian Nynorsk jamn (“even, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Gothic 𐌹𐌱𐌽𐍃 (ibns, “even”), Old Cornish eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic (“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt (“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अम्नस् (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”). The verb descends from Middle English evenen, from Old English efnan; the adverb from Middle English evene, from Old English efne. The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (Latin imāgō (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यम (yamá, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view. For the meaning development compare with Latin aequus (“equal, level, even, flat, horizontal”), Russian ро́вный (róvnyj, “even, level, flat, smooth”), ра́вный (rávnyj, “equal”), по́ровну (pórovnu, “in equal parts”).

Etymology 4

From Middle English even, from Old English efn (“flat; level, even, equal”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)em-no- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian íeuwen (“even, flat”), West Frisian even (“even”), Alemannic German ëben (“even”), Cimbrian ébane (“even”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen (“leveled”), German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Icelandic jafn (“even”), Norwegian Bokmål jevn (“even, smooth”), Norwegian Nynorsk jamn (“even, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Gothic 𐌹𐌱𐌽𐍃 (ibns, “even”), Old Cornish eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic (“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt (“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अम्नस् (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”). The verb descends from Middle English evenen, from Old English efnan; the adverb from Middle English evene, from Old English efne. The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (Latin imāgō (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यम (yamá, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view. For the meaning development compare with Latin aequus (“equal, level, even, flat, horizontal”), Russian ро́вный (róvnyj, “even, level, flat, smooth”), ра́вный (rávnyj, “equal”), по́ровну (pórovnu, “in equal parts”).

Etymology 5

From Middle English even, from Old English ǣfen, from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs (“evening”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Äivend, Äiwend, Eeuwend (“evening”), West Frisian jûn (“evening”), Dutch avond (“evening”), Low German Avend (“evening”), German Abend (“evening”), Danish aften (“evening”). See also the related terms eve and evening.

Etymology 6

Borrowed from Russian эве́н (evén), from Even эвэн (əwən). Compare Evenki.

Etymology 7

Borrowed from Russian эве́н (evén), from Even эвэн (əwən). Compare Evenki.

See also for "even"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: even