everyday

Everyday is an English adjective meaning ordinary, normal, or commonplace, especially in relation to daily life. It describes objects, experiences, or routines that are typical rather than exceptional. When used before a noun, everyday functions as a standard modifier: everyday clothes, everyday problems, everyday life. In such uses it conveys a sense of routine and practicality.

The two-word phrase every day means “each day” or “daily” and is used as an adverb or adverbial phrase: I go to work every day. It should not be written as everyday in this sense.

Some writers distinguish between everyday and every day, but the primary rule is that one word is used before a noun, while the two-word form is used to express frequency or time. In a broader sense, everyday can also refer to the ordinary or habitual aspects of life when used as a noun phrase, as in “the everyday,” though this usage is less common than the attributive adjective.

Relation to other terms includes commonplace, routine, and quotidian; quotidian is a more formal synonym. Etymology traces everyday to a direct compound of every and day, reflecting the longstanding sense of ordinary daily life dating from Middle English.

Usage notes: modern style guides generally prefer the one-word form for the adjective sense; the two-word form is reserved for the adverbial phrase meaning “each day.”