There are 20 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word never, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
The meaning of NEVER is not ever : at no time. How to use never in a sentence.
Never means at no time in the past or at no time in the future. I have never lost the weight I put on in my teens. Never had he been so free of worry. That was a mistake. We'll never do it again.
Definition of never adverb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
From Middle English nevere, navere, nævere, from Old English nǣfre (“never”), equivalent to ne + ever. never (not comparable) I finally finished, and I never do wanna do it again. We were at the same college, but happened never to meet. I'll never not like you.
NEVER definition: 1. not at any time or not on any occasion: 2. used as a way of saying "never" with extra emphasis…. Learn more.
never, adv. & int. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
'Never' is commonly used in conjunction with present perfect tense, as in 'I have never been to Paris,' emphasizing experiences up to the present. When discussing future actions, 'never' can create a definitive statement about intentions or possibilities, such as 'I will never smoke again.'
In informal speech and writing, never can be used instead of not with the simple past tenses of certain verbs for emphasis (I never said that; I never realized how clever he was), but this usage should be avoided in serious writing