en masse

American  

[ahn mas, en, ahn mas] / ɑn ˈmæs, ɛn, ɑ̃ ˈmas /

adverb

1. in a mass; all together; as a group.

   The people rushed to the gate en masse.

---

en masse British  

/ ɑ̃ mas /

adverb

1. in a group, body, or mass; as a whole; all together

---

en masse Cultural  

1. A French phrase meaning “in a large body”: “The protesters left en masse for the White House.”

---

en masse Idioms  

1. In one group or body; all together. For example, The activists marched en masse to the capitol. This French term, with exactly the same meaning, was adopted into English about 1800.

---

Etymology

Origin of en masse

Borrowed into English from French around 1795–1805

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

en masse

So is the proud Iranian diaspora showing up en masse to mostly support Team Melli twice, in draws with New Zealand and Belgium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Americans who had deferred care during the pandemic returned en masse to doctors’ offices, emergency rooms and operating rooms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

In Belfast itself, local communities have gathered en masse to support their immigrant neighbors, whether by hiding them from roving mobs or raising money to repair their homes and businesses.

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026

Neither the Fort nor HiberTec will be saving anyone en masse immediately.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

Pigeons banked and turned en masse in the sky.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• altogether