either

Introduces the first of two (or occasionally more) options or possibilities, the second (or last) of which is introduced by “or”.

Adverb

  1. As well.
    • I don't like him, and I don't like her either.
    • I know a cheap Spanish restaurant. It's not far from here, either.
    • But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw[…]that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that...

Origin

From Middle English either, from Old English ǣġhwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *aiw + *gahwaþar. Akin to Old Saxon eogihwethar, iahwethar (Low German jeed); Old Dutch *iogewether, *iowether, *iother (Dutch ieder); Old High German eogihwedar, iegihweder, ieweder (German jeder). The pronunciations with /iː/ and /eɪ/ respectively reflect Middle English forms in /ɛː/ and /æi/; the origin of that with /aɪ/ is less clear, but it may reflect a Middle English form with /iː/; see Middle English either for more discussion.

Conjunction

  1. Introduces the first of two (or occasionally more) options or possibilities, the second (or last) of which is introduced by “or”.
    • Either you eat your dinner or you go to your room.
    • You can have either potatoes or rice with that, but not both.
    • You'll be either early, late, or on time.

Related

neither nor or

Derived

either do or die either-either either-handed either-or either way either-way offence either … or me either

Determiner

  1. Any one (of two).
    • You can have it in either colour.

    Coordinate Terms: each both

  2. Each of two; both.
    • There is a locomotive at either end of the train, one pulling and the other pushing.
    • There are roses on either side of the garden.
    • His flowing hair In curls on either cheek played. - 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias...
  3. Any one (of more than two).
    • I hope you will be ready to own publicly, whenever you shall be called to it, that by your great and frequent urgency you prevailed on me to publish a very loose and uncorrect account of my travels, with directions to...
    • They entreat, they pray, they beg, they supplicate (will either of these do, Miss Clary?) that you will make no scruple to go to your uncle Antony's […]. - 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LI”, in Clarissa. Or, The...

Pronoun

  1. One or the other of two people or things.
    • He made me two offers, but I did not accept either.
    • Hodgson may now have to bring in James Milner on the left and, on that basis, a certain amount of gloss was taken off a night on which Welbeck scored twice but barely celebrated either before leaving the pitch angrily...
  2. Both, each of two or more.
    • Scarce a palm of ground could be gotten by either of the three. - a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the...
    • And either vowd with all their power and wit, / To let not others honour be defaste […] - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
    • There have been three famous talkers in Great British, either of whom would illustrate what I say about dogmatists. - 1872, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., The Poet at the Breakfast-Table: