Words / B2

f-uh-r-EV-uh/fərˈevə/

Forever means for all time, or (informal) for a very long time: gone forever; it took forever. For ever as two words is also used in UK English. Always is not identical (every time, not all time). A finding is not forever. Do not use forever in a methods paragraph if you mean “until the next census”.

Meaning

For all time; also (informal) for a very long time.

Examples

• “A malpractice finding is not forever, but it follows the next sitting.”
• “The portal took forever to load, which is the informal exaggeration.”

Good to know

gone forever; forever + adjective. Informal: it took forever. UK also: for ever. Stronger than a long time in careful prose — or jokingly weaker.

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