At all times or on every occasion, without exception. It can also mean for a very long time or as long as you can remember.
From Middle English *alwey(es)*, from Old English phrases like *ealne weg* meaning “all the way” or “all along.” Over time, the sense narrowed from continuous extent to constant time.
“Always” began as “all the way,” like a path that never runs out. When we say “I’ll always care,” we’re borrowing that endless-road image for time instead of distance. It’s a tiny word that smuggles in the idea of infinity.
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