DictionaryAI

anywhere

SayEN-ee-wair/ˈɛn.i.(h)wɛɹ/UK/ˈɛnɪwɛə/

4 meanings of anywhere

Practice

  1. 1
    any placeadverb
    In, at, or to any place, whichever one it is.

    The wireless signal reaches anywhere inside the building.

    She would happily settle anywhere along the coast.

    UsageIn negatives and questions it usually replaces somewhere: I can't find it anywhere. Also anywhere else, anywhere you like.

  2. 2
    number rangeadverb
    Placed before a range of figures or amounts to indicate that the actual number falls at some point within that range.

    Estimates of the crowd ran anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 people.

    Replacing the roof could cost anywhere between $8,000 and $15,000, depending on the materials.

    UsageUsed as anywhere from X to Y or anywhere between X and Y.

    Similarsomewhere

  3. 3
    pronoun
    Any place, or some place not known, spoken of as a thing in itself, as when it is the subject or object of a sentence ("anywhere is better than here").

    Anywhere with decent coffee suits her perfectly.

    He said anywhere would do, so long as it was quiet.

    UsageCan be the subject, with a singular verb: anywhere is fine. Often followed by a description: anywhere with good coffee.

Less common meaning

  1. 4
    person without rootsnouncountable
    A cosmopolitan person without strong cultural or social ties to any one particular place.

    The columnist described herself as an anywhere, equally at ease in any global city.

    In this picture of politics, the typical anywhere is a graduate who moves for work and has few ties to any one town.

    UsageTakes an and the plural anywheres: an anywhere, rootless anywheres.

    Similarcosmopolite

    Oppositesomewhere

    Note

    Its opposite is somewhere, meaning a person whose ties bind them to one particular place. The pair works as a matched set of labels. Cosmopolite is the closest synonym, but it names someone at home everywhere, while an anywhere is defined by what it lacks.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of anywhere apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

Formed from the combination of "any" and "where."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 1 fact