Meaning & use
at any given time
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
At any moment or point in time, without saying exactly which one; it is usually followed by a plural noun or a clause describing what exists then.
Grammar: Often used at the start of a clause or after a plural noun: 'At any given time, there are ...' or 'the number of ... at any given time'.
Patterns
- at any given time, there is/are ...
- the number of something at any given time
- what is happening at any given time
At any given time, there are about twenty people waiting in the emergency room.
The website shows how many users are online at any given time.
You can check the temperature of the water at any given time using this app.
phrasefixed phraseformal
Used to talk about a general, unspecified moment when something is true, often in rules, science, or descriptions of systems.
Grammar: This meaning is very close to the first; it often appears in formal or technical writing after 'at'.
Patterns
- at any given time, something is true
- something can happen at any given time
In this experiment, the liquid must stay at a constant temperature at any given time.
At any given time, only one person is allowed inside the laboratory.
The system can handle up to five hundred calls at any given time.
Common combinations
- at any given time
- At any given time, there are thousands of flights in the air.
- at any given moment
- She could change her mind at any given moment.
- at any given point
- At any given point in the game, the score can change.
- at any given time of day
- The café is busy at any given time of day.
- the number at any given time
- The number of visitors at any given time is limited.
Synonyms and how they differ
- at any moment
- This is more general and often suggests something could happen suddenly; 'at any given time' is more neutral and factual.
- at any one time
- This is very similar but often implies a limit or a single point; 'at any given time' is slightly more formal and general.
- at any point
- This is broader and can refer to a point in a process or argument, not just time.
Commonly confused: at any given time or at the same time? at any given time or at one time?
at any given time vs at the same time
This means 'simultaneously' or 'however', not 'at an unspecified moment'. 'At any given time' does not mean two things happen together.
at any given time vs at one time
This usually means 'in the past' or 'at a particular time in the past', not a general unspecified moment.
Practice
Choose the best completion: 'At any given time, there ______ about fifty students in the library.'
Choose one answer.
'Students' is plural, so the verb must be 'are'. 'Is' is singular and does not agree. 'Was' is past and does not fit the general present meaning. 'Has' does not fit the structure 'there has' without a participle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “at any given time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.