amount

[ uh-mount ]

noun

1. the sum total of two or more quantities or sums; aggregate.
2. the sum of the principal and interest of a loan.
3. quantity; measure:

   a great amount of resistance.

4. the full effect, value, or significance.

verb (used without object)

1. to total; add (usually followed by to ):

   The repair bill amounts to $300.

2. to reach, extend, or be equal in number, quantity, effect, etc.; be equivalent (usually followed by to ):

   It is stated differently but amounts to the same thing.

3. to develop into; become (usually followed by to ):

   With his intelligence, he should amount to something when he grows up.

amount

/ əˈmaʊnt /

noun

1. extent; quantity; supply
2. the total of two or more quantities; sum
3. the full value, effect, or significance of something
4. a principal sum plus the interest on it, as in a loan

verb

1. intrusually foll byto to be equal or add up in effect, meaning, or quantity

Usage

The use of a plural noun after amount of (an amount of bananas; the amount of refugees ) should be avoided: a quantity of bananas; the number of refugees

Confusables Note

The traditional distinction between amount and number is that amount is used with mass or uncountable nouns ( the amount of paperwork; the amount of energy ) and number with countable nouns ( a number of songs; a number of days ). Although objected to, the use of amount instead of number with countable nouns occurs in both speech and writing, especially when the noun can be considered as a unit or group ( the amount of people present; the amount of weapons ) or when it refers to money ( the amount of dollars paid; the amount of pennies in the till ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of amount¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb amounten, amunten, from Anglo-French amo(u)nter, amunter, Old French amonter literally, “to go up, ascend,” probably a- + monter; noun use of verb from early 18th century; a- ⁵, mount ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of amount¹

C13: from Old French amonter to go up, from amont upwards, from a to + mont mountain (from Latin mōns )

Example Sentences

So I started to think about anything in my life that would be worth people giving it any amount of time.

From The Daily Beast

The number of diplomats was pitiful (45 appointees in 1860), as was the amount of money allocated to them.

From The Daily Beast

The amount of vanished bitcoins was 650,000 BTC (or 24.7 billion yen).

From The Daily Beast

They are afflicted with “progressive spiritual emptiness,” he said, which no amount of academic honors and degrees can fill.

From The Daily Beast

We may never know the full amount that the Kochs or other outside spenders donate to advance anti-union legislation.

From The Daily Beast

Other factors being equal, the amount of urea indicates the activity of metabolism.

From Project Gutenberg

After about the forty-fifth year it becomes gradually less; after seventy-five years it is about one-half the amount given.

From Project Gutenberg

In disease, the amount of solids depends mainly upon the activity of metabolism and the ability of the kidneys to excrete.

From Project Gutenberg

The amount of the other purin bodies together is about one-tenth that of uric acid.

From Project Gutenberg

For instance, the Limestone Polypody is not happy unless there is a certain amount of lime present in the soil.

From Project Gutenberg