What is the difference between "anyone" and "everyone" in this context
Solution 1:
How to use anyone and everyone as they are typically used in English
- Everyone means all of the group.
- Anyone means all or any part of the group.
Original example
“Everyone is welcome to do such and such” means all are welcome.
“Anyone is welcome to do such and such” means all or any part is welcome.
In this situation, it makes no difference which word you use. Either word gives every person a welcome.
Second example
In the example below, it makes an important difference which word you use.
Does everyone (all of the group) want ice cream?
If the answer is yes, then all of the people want ice cream.
If the answer is no, then some, or maybe all, want something different.
Does anyone (all or any part of the group) want ice cream?
If the answer is yes, then at least one person wants ice cream.
If the answer is no, nobody wants ice cream.
Solution 2:
To me - Anyone = a single person or opportunity. (Anyone here can be first to come up and speak.)
Everyone = many people. (Everyone here today has a chance to speak.)
Solution 3:
I feel the answer to this lies within the words and it is helpful to split them into their literal meanings. Any one invites any number of individuals, every one invites all (as opposed to a lesser number) and in some senses obliges all. This makes little difference in your example but clearly can do in other cases.
Solution 4:
If the opportunity allows for an unlimited number of participants, either would be correct.
If there is only one opportunity (or possibly very few), but all persons are eligible to partake, anyone is correct, but everyone would not be.
In many contexts, the term anyone also has a subtle connotation that the skill or eligibility barrier is very low (often conveyed by inflection). Everyone doesn’t seem to suggest that.
Solution 5:
I’ll use Spanish because I think the translation makes the meaning clearer (I might be wrong, educate me but don’t be too hard):
Anyone, meaning “cualquiera”.
Everyone, meaning “cada uno”.
They both mean “all” when you roughly translate them but there are subtleties.
Answer to anyone. - will take you a minute to choose one person and answer him.
Answer to everyone. - will take you hours for the 50 persons waiting for your answer.