• Always

    Pronunciation

    • UK IPA: /ˈɔːl.weɪz/, /ˈɔːl.wɪz/
    • US IPA: /ˈɔl.weɪz/, /ˈɔl.wɪz/, /ˈɔl.wiz/
    • Hyphenation: al + ways

    Alternative forms

    Origin

    Originally a genitive form of alway, from Middle English allwaye, alle wey, from Old English ealneġ, ealneweġ ("always, perpetually", literally all the way), from ealne + weġ, equivalent to -("all") + way, or all + -ways. Cognate with Scots alwayis ("always"), Low German allerwegens ("very often", literally all ways'). More at all, way.

    Full definition of always

    Adverb

    always

    1. At all times; ever; perpetually; throughout all time; continually.
      God is always the same.
      • 2013, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, Wild Plants to the Rescue, Plant breeding is always a numbers game....The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better.
    2. Constantly during a certain period, or regularly at stated intervals; invariably; uniformly;—opposed to sometimes or occasionally.
      Our first dog always barked at passers-by.
      • 1840, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, MoneyHis liveries are black,—his carriage is black,—he always rides a black galloway,—and, faith, if he ever marry again, I think he will show his respect to the sainted Maria by marrying a black woman.
      • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher Chapter 1, They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly.
      • 1922, Michael Arlen, “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days Chapter Ep./1/1, And so it had always pleased M. Stutz to expect great things from the dark young man whom he had first seen in his early twenties ; and his expectations has waxed rather than waned on hearing the faint bruit of the love of Ivor and Virginia—for Virginia, M. Stutz thought, would bring fineness to a point in a man like Ivor Marlay, ….
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 7, The highway to the East Coast which ran through the borough of Ebbfield had always been a main road and even now, despite the vast garages, the pylons and the gaily painted factory glasshouses which had sprung up beside it, there still remained an occasional trace of past cultures.
    3. (informal)  In any event.
      I thought I could always go back to work.

    Usage notes

    Used for both duration and frequency.

    Derived terms

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

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