Anytime vs Any Time | Meaning & Examples
Anytime and any time are pronounced in the same way but used to express different grammatical meanings.
- Anytime (written as one word) is an adverb that means “whenever.” It also functions as a subordinating conjunction to mean “whenever.”
- Any time (two separate words) functions as a noun phrase that means “any amount of time.” It can also be used as part of the prepositional phrase “at any time” to mean “at an unpredictable time” or “whenever.”
| Examples: Anytime in a sentence | Examples: Any time in a sentence |
|---|---|
| We can meet anytime on monday.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch anytime. Anytime I want to do my washing, someone is using the machine. |
I don’t have any time to help you this week.
The pipe could burst at any time. You can use the library at any time. |
What does anytime mean?
Anytime is an adverb. We use it to talk about flexible arrangements to mean “whenever.”
Students can start our online courses anytime.
You can also use anytime as a conjunction to mean “whenever.” In this case, it functions as a subordinating conjunction at the beginning of a dependent clause (a clause that can’t form a sentence on its own but has a subject and a verb).
Anytime I try to log on, it doesn’t work.
- Anytime is normally used in informal contexts, so it’s best to avoid using it in academic writing and formal correspondence. You can use whenever as an alternative subordinating conjunction in formal contexts (e.g., “Please inform us immediately whenever this happens”).
- In British English anytime can also be written as two words (“any time”).
What does any time mean?
Any time means “any amount of time” when used as a noun phrase (made up of the quantifier “any” and the noun “time”). When used like this, the basic meaning doesn’t change if you leave out “any.”
You can also add the determiner “more” in between the two words.
I don’t have any more time left.
Any time is also an informal alternative to the phrase “you’re welcome.”
Person B: Any time! No problem at all.
At any time
At any time is a prepositional phrase that means “whenever” or “at an unpredictable time.” It is always written as three separate words.
- It is a flexible savings account, so you can access your money at any time.
- It is a flexible savings account, so you can access your money at anytime.
- At this time of year, it can rain at any time.
- At this time of year, it can rain at anytime.
Frequently asked questions about anytime vs any time
- What is a synonym for anytime?
-
Anytime can be used to mean “whenever” or “you’re welcome.” Synonyms and near synonyms for anytime include:
Whenever You’re welcome At any time No problem At any moment It was my pleasure Try QuillBot’s rewriter to find synonyms for words like “anytime.”
