What Does "EITHER" Mean? The Complete Either Definition
The meaning of EITHER is “one or the other of two people or things,” or “any one of two alternatives.” In modern English, it most often appears when a speaker is presenting a choice, negation, or comparison. For example, you might say, “You can choose either tea or coffee,” where the word highlights two options.
The EITHER definition also includes a few grammatical uses: it can function as a determiner, pronoun, adverb, or conjunction depending on context. For instance, “I don’t like either option” uses it with negation, while “Either way works” shows it as a choice marker. The EITHER meaning in word games is often easy to overlook because it looks simple, but it’s a flexible everyday word. The word comes from Old English ǣgther, with roots related to the idea of “both” or “each of two.”
Either Synonyms: Words Similar to EITHER
Synonyms for EITHER include words and phrases that express choice, alternatives, or one of two possibilities.
- One of two — This phrase is the closest plain-English equivalent when you want to avoid the more formal EITHER.
- Any one — This fits when the choice is open, but it is less specific to exactly two options.
- Whichever — This works when the decision is left to the listener, rather than pointing to both alternatives.
- Alternative — This is broader than EITHER and can refer to more than two options.
- Option — A common substitute in casual speech, though it does not always carry the “two choices” nuance.
- Also / too — In negative statements, these can sometimes overlap with EITHER, but they are not direct synonyms in all contexts.
How to Use "EITHER" in a Sentence: Real Examples
Here are a few clear EITHER example sentence patterns showing how the word works in everyday English.
- You can take either bus to get downtown.
- I don’t like either of those answers.
- Either way, we’ll arrive before noon.
- Either you call now, or I’ll call later.
EITHER in NYT Connections #1117 — Why Did It Appear?
In NYT Connections #1117 on 2026-04-07, EITHER appeared in the Blue category, the hardest group, titled “WORDS FOR UNSPECIFIED CHOICES.” The other words were ANOTHER, NEITHER, and ONE, all of which fit the idea of a vague or non-specific option. That theme made EITHER tricky because it is familiar in ordinary English, yet players may not immediately connect it to the broader category logic. For anyone searching for the , the key was recognizing the shared “unspecified choice” function rather than a shared prefix or sound pattern.