among
Americanpreposition
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in, into, or through the midst of; in association or connection with; surrounded by.
He was among friends.
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in the midst of, so as to influence.
missionary work among the local people.
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with a share for each of.
Divide the cigars among you.
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in the number, class, or group of; of or out of.
That is among the things we must do.
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by all or with the whole of; by most or with many of.
popular among the people.
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by the joint or reciprocal action of.
Settle it among yourselves.
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each with the other; mutually.
They quarreled among themselves.
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familiar to or characteristic of.
a proverb among the Spanish.
preposition
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in the midst of
he lived among the Indians
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to each of
divide the reward among yourselves
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in the group, class, or number of
ranked among the greatest writers
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taken out of (a group)
he is only one among many
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with one another within a group; by the joint action of
a lot of gossip among the women employees
decide it among yourselves
Commonly Confused
See between.
Etymology
Origin of among
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English amang, onmang for on gemang, on gemonge (dative singular of gemong “crowd,” akin to mengan “to mix”) “in (the) group (of)”; akin to mingle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among those imprisoned were the president’s top White House aides, his attorney general and his personal legal counsel.
From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026
Among trading standards' findings were "recipe cards" that contained the exact ingredients workers used to create the lamb kebabs, where they concluded that no lamb meat at all was being used in their production.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Among the highlights are the most precisely located gravitational wave source ever observed, the clearest gravitational wave signal ever recorded, and additional evidence supporting the existence of second-generation black holes.
From Science Daily • Jul. 2, 2026
Among the hotspots Thursday were the "Bus Stop Cafe" in the West Village, which Swift is known to have visited, and nearby Cornelia Street which lends its name to the hit song.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
Among other things, he tried to extend Catholic influence over the University of Cambridge.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
