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even1

Syllabification: (e·ven)
Pronunciation: /ˈēvən/
Translate even | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of even

adjective (evener, evenest)

  • 1flat and smooth:prepare the site, then lay an even bed of mortar
  • in the same plane or line; level:run a file along the saw to make all of the teeth even with each other
  • 2equal in number, amount, or value:an even gender balance among staff and students
  • equally balanced:it’s not an even fight
  • having little variation in quality; regular:they traveled at an even and leisurely pace
  • (of a person’s temper or disposition) equable; calm:a man of good humor and even temper
  • 3(of a number, such as 2, 6, or 108) divisible by two without a remainder.
  • bearing an even number:headers can be placed on odd or even pages or both
  • exactly equal to a round number; not having any fractions:the Dow Jones ended at an even 10,000

verb

  • make or become even: [with object]:she cut the hair again to even up the ends

adverb

  • used to emphasize something surprising or extreme:they have never even heard of the US they wore fur hats, even in summer
  • used in comparisons for emphasis:he knows even less about it than I do

Phrases

even as

at the very same time as:even as he spoke, their baggage was being unloaded

an even break

informal a fair chance:suckers never get an even break

even if

despite the possibility that; no matter whether:always try everything even if it turns out to be a dud
despite the fact that:he is a great president, even if he has many enemies

even now (or then)

  • 1now (or then) as well as before:even now, after all these years, it upsets me
  • 2in spite of what has (or had) happened:even then he never raised his voice to me
  • 3at this (or that) very moment:very likely you are even now picking up the telephone to call

even so

in spite of that; nevertheless:not the most exciting of places, but even so I was having a good time

even though

despite the fact that:even though he was bigger, he never looked down on me

get (or be) even

informal inflict trouble or harm on someone similar to that which they have inflicted on oneself:I’ll get even with you for this

of even date

Law or formal of the same date.

on an even keel

(of a ship or aircraft) having the same draft forward and aft.
(of a person or situation) functioning normally after a period of difficulty:getting her life back on to an even keel after their breakup had been difficult

Derivatives

evenly

adverb

evenness

noun

Origin:

Old English efen (adjective), efne (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch even, effen and German eben

even in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of even in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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