What does anyplace mean?
Anyplace is an adverb meaning in, at, or to any place at all. It is used informally, almost exclusively in American English, where it serves as a colloquial alternative to the more standard word 'anywhere.' A speaker might say they couldn't find their keys anyplace, or that a traveler was welcome to stay anyplace they chose. The word belongs to the same family of place adverbs formed from 'some-,' 'any-,' 'no-,' and 'every-' combined with 'place,' alongside somewhere and nowhere. Despite occasional criticism from usage purists who consider it nonstandard, it has a long history in American speech dating back to the nineteenth century and remains common in casual conversation. In formal writing, however, editors typically prefer anywhere. For learners of English, recognizing anyplace is useful mainly for understanding American dialogue and informal prose, though choosing anywhere in one's own writing is usually the safer stylistic choice.
adverbIn, at, or to any place or location whatsoever. Used chiefly in informal American English as a substitute for 'anywhere.'
- In, at, or to any place (informal equivalent of 'anywhere').
"You can sit anyplace you like — the house is empty."
"We couldn't find a parking spot anyplace downtown."
"After retiring, they were free to travel anyplace the mood struck them."
Purists once dismissed 'anyplace' as sloppy American slang — but it's simply a compound built the same way as 'somewhere' and 'nowhere', and it's been around since the 1800s.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anyplace
Anyplace was formed in English by compounding the native determiner 'any' with the noun 'place,' following the pattern of earlier compounds such as 'somewhere' and 'nowhere.' It emerged in American English during the nineteenth century as a colloquial variant of 'anywhere.' It has no cognates in other languages, being an internal English formation rather than a borrowing.
How anyplace is actually used
'Anyplace' is informal and primarily American; in formal writing and in British English, 'anywhere' is strongly preferred. It functions as an adverb of place and is common in everyday speech.
Easily confused with anyplace
'Anywhere' is the standard form in both British and American English, while 'anyplace' is a chiefly informal American variant with the same meaning.