even

The word “even” means flat, level, or smooth. In plain terms, level or equal — or, as an adverb, a word that adds emphasis to something unexpected.

“Even” is pronounced EE-vuhn (/ˈiːvən/ in IPA).

Here is “even” used in a sentence: “Make sure the shelf is even before you fix it in place.”

Words with a similar meaning to “even” include level, uniform, monotone, on par, quits and square.

The opposite of “even” — its antonyms — are uneven and odd.

Depending on how it is used, “even” can be an adjective, an adverb and a verb.

The word “even” comes from Old English. From Old English efn ("level, equal"), from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz — related to German eben and Dutch even.

“Even” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

Even means free from bumps, dips, or roughness — an even surface is smooth and consistent. Level means horizontal, with no slope in any direction. A floor can be even but not level if it is smooth yet gently tilted, and level but not even if it is horizontal but cracked and rough.

In everyday use even, flat, and smooth overlap heavily, but there is a shade of difference. Even stresses uniformity — no part sticks up higher than another. A curved ramp can be perfectly even and smooth without being flat, because flat implies a straight, horizontal plane while even simply means regular and free of irregularities.

In this sense the opposite of even is uneven — a surface that is bumpy, rough, or irregular, with some parts higher than others. A pothole-filled road, a lumpy mattress, or crooked paving are all uneven. Note that even also has an unrelated number meaning, whose opposite is odd.

You might say 'Sand the board until it is even,' 'We need even ground to pitch the tent,' or 'Spread the icing in an even layer.' In each case even describes a smooth, regular surface with no bumps or dips — nothing raised or sunken to spoil the finish.