Even

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: en, /ˈiːvÉ™n/
• US IPA: en, /ˈivÉ™n/, /ˈivnÌ©/
• Rhymes: -en, -iːvÉ™n
• Hyphenation: en + e + ven

Alternative forms

• eben etymology 1: adverb, adjective
• e'en etymology 1: adverb, etymology 2: noun; contraction, poetic, archaic

From , from , from , from , from .

Cognate with , , , effen, , , , , jamn ("even, equal"), (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic ("iustus, i. e., just")), (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt ("aequus, i. e., equal")), , , .

The verb descends from , from ; the adverb from , from .

The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root , (, , ) is problematic from a phonological point of view.

Schaffner, Stefan (2000). “Altindisch amnás, urgermanisch *eƀna-, kelt. *eμno-.” In: Indoarisch, Iranisch und die Indogermanistik. Akten des Kolloquiums der Indogermanischen Gesellschaft vom 2. bis 5. Oktober 1997 in Erlangen, Forssman, Bernhard & Plath, Robert (eds.), Wiesbaden, pp. 491–505. In German.

Full definition of even

Adjective

1. Flat and level.
   Clear out those rocks. The surface must be even.
2. Without great variation.
   Despite her fear, she spoke in an even voice.
3. Equal in proportion, quantity, size, etc.
   The distribution of food must be even.
   Call it even.
4. (not comparable, of an integer) Divisible by two.
   Four, fourteen and forty are even numbers.
5. (of a number) Convenient for rounding other numbers to; for example, ending in a zero.
• 1989, Jerry Sterner, Other People's Money, 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.
• 1998, Marya Hornbacher, , chapter 8, 1999 paperback edition, , page 253 http://books.google.com/books?id=28iYykbTIhwC&pg=PA253&dq=even:He put me on the scale in my underwear and socks: 82 pounds.... I left, humming all day long, remembering that once upon a time my ideal weight had been 84, and now I'd even beaten that. I decided 80 was a better number, a nice even number to be.
6. On equal monetary terms; neither owing nor being owed.
7. (colloquial) On equal terms of a moral sort; quits.
   You biffed me back at the barn, and I biffed you here—so now we're even.
8. Parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit.
• 'KJV|Luke|xix|44|text=And shall lay thee even with the ground.
9. (obsolete) Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure.
• Shakespeare Henry 8|III|ii|passage=I know my life so even.
10. (obsolete) Associate; fellow; of the same condition.
• c. 1382–1395, John Wycliffe, Bible - Matthew 18.29His even servant.

Usage notes

Because of confusion with the "divisible by two" sense, use of even to mean "convenient for rounding" is rare; the synonym round is more common for this sense.

Synonyms

• (flat and level) flat, level, uniform; see also
• (without great variation) regular, monotone voice; see also
• (equal) level, on par; see also
• (convenient for rounding) round
• (on equal monetary terms) quits colloquial, UK
• (on equal moral terms) quits, square

Antonyms

• (flat and level) uneven
• (divisible by two) odd

Derived terms

Verb

1. (transitive) To make flat and level.
   We need to even this playing field; the west goal is too low.
• Raleigh Historie of the WorldThis temple Xerxes evened with the soil.
• Evelyn Kalendarium|edition=2nd|chaptername=October|page=27|passage=... It will now be good to Beat, Roll, and Mow Carpet-walks, and Cammomile; for now the ground is Å¿upple, and it will even all inequalities: ...
2. (transitive, obsolete) To equal or equate; to make the same.
• Fuller Holy Warre|chapter=Discords betwixt the French and English; the Death & Disposition of Meladine King of Egypt|page=192|passage=The EngliÅ¿h Earl [William Longespée the Younger], though he Å¿tood on the lower ground in point of birth, yet conceived himÅ¿elf to even him [Robert I, Count of Artois] in valour and martiall knowledge.
• Stevenson Kidnapped|passage=“But aside from that,” I continued, “what have I done that you should even me to dogs by such a supposition? I never yet failed a friend, and it’s not likely I’ll begin with you. There are things between us that I can never forget, even if you can.”
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To be equal.
   Thrice nine evens twenty seven.
   Carew Survey of Cornwall
4. (transitive, obsolete) 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.
   We need to even the score.
• c. 1604–05, All's Well that Ends Well, Madam, the care I have had to even your
  content I wish might be found in the calendar of my
  past endeavours, for then we wound our modesty, and
  make foul the clearness of our deservings, when of
  ourselves we publish them.
5. (transitive, obsolete) To set right; to complete.
6. (transitive, obsolete) To act up to; to keep pace with.
• c. 1611, Cymbeline, Prithee away,
  There's more to be considered: but we'll even
  All that good time will give us.

Synonyms

• (to make flat and level) flatten, level
• (to equal) match
• (to place in an equal state) settle

Derived terms

Adverb

1. (archaic) Exactly, just, fully.
   I fulfilled my instructions even as I had promised.
   You are leaving tonight? — Even so.
   This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.
• Melville Moby-Dick|chapter=36|page=177|passage=But on the occasion in question, those dents looked deeper, even as his nervous step that morning left a deeper mark.
2. In reality; implying an extreme example in the case mentioned, as compared to the implied reality.
   Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes.
   Did you even make it through the front door?
   That was before I was even born.
• Churchill Celebrity|chapter=I|page=2|passage=He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.
• Hough Purchase Price|chapter=II|text=Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.
• 1922, Ben Travers
• 2013-06-29
3. Emphasizing a comparative.
   I was strong before, but now I am even stronger.
4. Signalling a correction of one's previous utterance; rather, that is.
   My favorite actor is Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicholson, even.

Synonyms

• (exactly, just, fully) definitely, precisely; see also
• (implying extreme example) so much as
• (correction to previous utterance) See

Derived terms

Noun

1. (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.
   So let's see. There are two evens here and three odds.

From , from , from .

Cognate with , , , . See also the related terms eve and evening.

Noun

1. (evening) (archaic or poetic) Evening.
• Tyndale NT|Matthew|8|text=When the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devylles ....
• Shakespeare Sonnets|28|text=When sparkling stars twire not, thou gild'st the even.
• KJV|Leviticus|15|16|text=And if any mans seede of copulation goe out from him, then hee shall wash all his flesh in water, and bee vncleane vntill the Euen.

Synonyms

• evening, eventide; see also

Derived terms

• evenfall
• evensong
• yestereven

Related terms

• eve
• evening

Anagrams