may

¹

[mey]

auxiliary verb

present-singular-1st-person

may ,

second-person

may ,

second-person

mayest, mayst ,

third-person

may ,

present-plural

may ,

past

might .

1. (used to express possibility).

   It may rain.

2. (used to express opportunity or permission).

   You may enter.

3. (used to express contingency, especially in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.).

   I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may change but human nature stays the same.

4. (used to express wish or prayer).

   May you live to an old age.

5. Archaic.,  (used to express ability or power.)

may

²

[mey]

noun

Archaic.

1. a maiden.

May

³

[mey]

noun

1. the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.

2. the early part of one's life, especially the prime.

   a young woman in her May.

3. the festivities of May Day.

4. (lowercase),  the hawthorn.

5. a female given name.

6. Cape, a cape at the SE tip of New Jersey, on Delaware Bay.

verb (used without object)

1. (lowercase),  to gather flowers in the spring.

   when we were maying.

may

¹

/ meɪ /

verb

1. to indicate that permission is requested by or granted to someone

   he may go to the park tomorrow if he behaves himself

2. (often foll by well) to indicate possibility

   the rope may break

   he may well be a spy

3. to indicate ability or capacity, esp in questions

   may I help you?

4. to express a strong wish

   long may she reign

5. to indicate result or purpose: used only in clauses introduced by that or so that

   he writes so that the average reader may understand

6. another word for might 1

7. to express courtesy in a question

   whose child may this little girl be?

8. in spite of that: a sentence connector conceding the possible truth of a previous statement and introducing an adversative clause

   be that as it may, I still think he should come

9. whatever happens

10. (foll by a clause introduced by but) that may be so

may

²

/ meɪ /

noun

1. Also: may tree. a Brit name for hawthorn

2. short for may blossom

May

³

/ meɪ /

noun

1. the fifth month of the year, consisting of 31 days

May

⁴

/ meɪ /

noun

1. Robert McCredie , Baron. born 1936, Australian biologist and ecologist

may

⁵

/ meɪ /

noun

1. an archaic word for maiden

Usage

It was formerly considered correct to use may rather than can when referring to permission as in: you may use the laboratory for your experiments , but this use of may is now almost entirely restricted to polite questions such as: may I open the window? The use of may with if in constructions such as: your analysis may have been more more credible if … is generally regarded as incorrect, might being preferred: your analysis might have been more credible if …

Confusables Note

See can ¹.

Word History and Origins

Origin of may¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English mai, 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of mouen “to be able, be strong,” Old English mæg (infinitive magan ); cognate with German mögen

Origin of may²

First recorded before 900; Middle English mai; Old English mæg

Origin of may³

First recorded before 1050; Middle English, Old English Maius, from Latin, short for Maius mēnsis “Maia's month”; Maia ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of may¹

Old English mæg, from magan: compare Old High German mag , Old Norse mā

Origin of may²

C16: from the month of _May , when it flowers

Origin of may³

from Old French, from Latin Maius, probably from Maia, Roman goddess, identified with the Greek goddess _Maia

Origin of may⁴

Old English mæg; related to Old High German māg kinsman, Old Norse māgr a relative by marriage

Idioms and Phrases

see be that as it may; come what may; let the chips fall where they may; to whom it may concern.

Example Sentences

The scandal has caused a massive backlash from customers in the nation, but experts have warned it may also have global implications.

From BBC

MPs on the Treasury Committee recently said that shops and services may have to be forced to accept cash in the future to help protect vulnerable people who rely on it.

From BBC

ICE will likely be prohibited from operating inside the stadium, but ICE can operate in public spaces such as the parking lot, where fans may gather to hear the performance.

From Los Angeles Times

Recruiters feel while graduates may swamp big employers with applications, some regional companies say they face a "skills shortage" in some sectors because of a lack of applicants.

From BBC

After the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority completes reforms, according to the document, “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What’s the difference between may and might?

May and might can both be used as auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) that express possibility, as in We may/might have some left—let me check.Traditionally, might is considered a weaker form of may—meaning that it expresses a lower degree of possibility that something will happen. Some people might intend to use the two words this way, but in practical terms they are often interchangeable when used in this sense—they usually mean just about the same thing.May and might can also both be used in the context of permission, often as what’s thought to be a more polite substitute for can, as in May/Might I use your restroom? In responses to such questions, it’s usually may that’s used, as in Yes, you may. Saying might in such responses is often meant to make fun of such a use of the word in a way that’s sarcastic or that introduces a condition, usually one that’s not serious, as in Yes, you might, if you knew the password.May is sometimes used to express a wish, as in May you have success.Might is sometimes used to express advisability, as in You might ask before you barge in, you know.In its auxiliary verb sense, might can also be used as the past tense of may. It may seem strange to express possibility in the past tense (now that it is known whether or not something happened), but there are plenty of cases in which it makes sense to do it, such as when it’s still uncertain whether or not something could have happened, as in He might have had a chance to become CEO, but he decided to retire early or She might have come if you had actually invited her. Of course, the word may can also be used in the same way to indicate past tense (She may have come if you had actually invited her).Here’s an example of may and might used correctly in a sentence.Example: We might have been able to go today if it hadn’t rained, but in any case we may try to go again tomorrow.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between may and might.