I. hwät-ˈe-vər, wät-, (h)wət- pronoun
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : anything or everything that
take whatever you want
b. : no matter what
whatever he says, they won't believe him
c. : whatnot
enjoys skiing, hiking, or whatever
2. : what 1a(1) — used to express astonishment or perplexity
whatever do you mean by that
II. adjective
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : any…that : all…that
buy peace…on whatever terms could be obtained — C. S. Forester
b. : no matter what
money, in whatever hands, will confer power — Samuel Johnson
2. : of any kind at all — used after the substantive it modifies with any or with an expressed or implied negative
in any order whatever — W. G. Moulton
no food whatever
III. adverb
Date: 1870
: in any case : whatever the case may be — sometimes used interjectionally to suggest the unimportance of an issue or decision between alternatives
go see a movie, watch TV,— whatever