The English language has a lot of words that are used interchangeably and are considered to have similar meanings. People get confused with such similar words, and it becomes difficult for them to use the words in the correct context.
Two such common words are always and forever. Both words seem similar but have distinct differences.
Key Takeaways
- “Always” refers to something continuous without any interruption.
- Forever refers to something that lasts for an infinite amount of time.
- Always is a temporal concept, while forever is a spatial concept.
Always vs Forever
The difference between always and forever is that always refers to an action that will last all time while forever refers to an action that is currently taking place. The word always has been in the English language since ancient times while the word forever is a new edition to the English language. Both words can be used in similar contexts.
It always is used as an adverb in sentence formation. The word is used to imply that the action that is being described is bound to last at all times.
The period referred to by the word always is within one’s life period. Always means continuously and denotes repetitiveness.
On the other hand, forever acts as an adverb as well as an adjective in the English language. Forever is a synonym of the word always. The word denotes something for eternity.
Forever implies that the context referred to is never-ending. Forever is not used to denote any habit or behaviour. Hence, the word does not promote repetitiveness
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Always | Forever |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Always primarily conveys “at all times” | Forever primarily conveys “for an endless time” |
| Form | Adverb | Adverb and Adjective |
| Duration | Always can refer to both short as well as the long period of time | Forever refers to a long period of time |
| Time period | The time period referred to by the word always is within one’s life period | The time period referred by the word forever is to an endless time |
| Other meaning | Always also means ‘at any rate’ or ‘as a last resort’ | Forever does not mean ‘at any rate’ or ‘as a last resort’ |
What is Always?
Always is used as an adverb in the English language. The word is used to imply that the action that is being described is bound to last at all times.
The usage of the word as an adverb is paramount to understanding the word. The word also has other meanings like “at all times”, “on all occasions”, “for all future times”, “at any rate,” or “as the last report”.
Some exemplary sentences are – “She always wears black”, “He always gives alms to the poor”, “The moon always revolves around the earth”, “I will always help you”, “You should always give another try”, and several other such examples.
The word is extensively used in making promises. People use always to confess and promise love. Like ‘I will always love you’, declares the love seemingly for an infinite period of time.
The time period referred to by the word always is within one’s life period. Always means continuously and denotes repetitiveness.
“The teacher always takes his time in everything that he does”. This sentence shows a pattern of behaviour that is done on a daily basis.
Such patterns can be expressed in other ways, too, like “He always woke up at 4 AM”, “She always goes for a walk in the evening “, and “He always sits on the first bench”.
What is Forever?
Forever is used as an adverb to describe the action taking place. The word forever is a relatively new word in the English language. The word denotes something for eternity.
Forever implies that the processor context referred to is never-ending. The meaning of the word is strongly governed by the context in which the word is used.
An exemplary sentence of a promise, ‘I will love you forever,’ means a declaration of the lover‘s undying love and promises that the love will be never-ending.
The love and affection will always be there for the other person and shows devotion.
The word forever means for a very long time or for an endless time. The word is also used as an adjective in an informal way. Example – “These kittens need a forever home”.
The time period implied in the word forever is for an infinite period and promotes a sense of constant throughout the entire period.
Examples of sentences – “She is forever asking questions”, “My dog forever does silly things”, “She didn’t tell us that she was leaving forever”, “Calls during the lecture have distracted me forever”, “The doctor took time to arrive, and it seemed as if we were waiting for forever.
Main Differences Between Always and Forever
- Always denotes continuously, while forever denotes infinite time into the future.
- Always denotes repetitiveness, while forever denotes no repetitiveness but a lasting constant.
- Always can refer to a short as well as a long period of time, while forever can refer to a long period of time.
- The time period referred to as always is within one’s life period, while the time period referred to as forever is endless.
- Always is used only as an adverb, while forever is used as an adjective as well as an adverb in the English language.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=lang_en&id=-546pqD8nEwC&oi=fnd&pg=PT1&dq=always+and+forever&ots=fG-gD7RQ0p&sig=B1cquIhBddR7iarutPv9nHwgn1k
- https://www.morganclaypool.com/doi/abs/10.2200/S00411ED1V01Y201203ICR021
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
It’s important to know the differences between similar words of the same language. It’s useful to improve our language skills.
The use of adverbs to describe always and forever is very useful, it is really important in the use of the language
I agree, at least now we can distinguish when each word is used
I don’t think the use of the word ‘forever’ is a new entry to the English language, the meaning of it is well known and it’s used frequently
You’re right, forever is well known and probably not a new entry, but the article says the differences between both words and it’s very interesting
I have never confused forever and always, this is a no-brainer
The examples used to define both words are very useful, I’d like to see more examples.
I don’t think this is new to people who use the English language all the time
I’ve never thought about the differences between always and forever and I find it fascinating to learn about them