always

adverb

1 all the time, at all times, on every occassion: Always lock your bicycle to something secure. | Tea is always served at 5 o'clock. | She had always assumed that Gabriel was a girl's name. | Anne had always been pretty. | He wasn't always a butler. (=he had other jobs at other times in his life)

2 for as long as you can remember or for a very long time: I've always wanted to go to Paris.

3 if you say that you will always do something, you mean that you will do it forever: I'll always remember that day. | He said he would love me always.

4 if someone is always doing something, or if something always happens, it happens often, especially in an annoying way: That wretched car is always breaking down! | She's always flirting with him.

5 you could always.../there is always... spoken used to make a polite suggestion: You could always try ringing her again. | If you can't get it locally, there's always mail order.

USAGE NOTE: ALWAYS GRAMMAR Always usually comes after the first auxiliary or modal verb and before the main verb: He always wanted/had a room of his own (NOT He had/wanted always a room of his own).| He had always lived there (had is auxiliary here).| You should always be careful walking alone at night (NOT usually should be always careful). Always usually follows the verb to be where it is used alone as a main verb: I am always hungry (NOT I always am hungry). SPELLING Remember it is always (NOT allways or all ways).