may
auxiliary verb
(used to express possibility).
may
1 American
[mey]
/ meɪ /
auxiliary verb
-
may,
present (3rd person singular)
-
might
past
-
(used to express possibility).
It may rain.
-
(used to express opportunity or permission).
You may enter.
-
(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.
-
(used to express wish or prayer).
May you live to an old age.
-
Archaic. (used to express ability or power.)
may
2
American
[mey]
/ meɪ /
noun
Archaic.
May
3
American
[mey]
/ meɪ /
noun
-
the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.
-
the early part of one's life, especially the prime.
a young woman in her May.
-
the festivities of May Day.
-
(lowercase) the hawthorn.
-
a female given name.
-
Cape, a cape at the SE tip of New Jersey, on Delaware Bay.
verb (used without object)
may
1
British
/ meɪ /
verb
-
to indicate that permission is requested by or granted to someone
he may go to the park tomorrow if he behaves himself
-
(often foll by well) to indicate possibility
the rope may break
he may well be a spy
-
to indicate ability or capacity, esp in questions
may I help you?
-
to express a strong wish
long may she reign
-
to indicate result or purpose: used only in clauses introduced by that or so that
he writes so that the average reader may understand
-
another word for might 1
-
to express courtesy in a question
whose child may this little girl be?
-
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
-
whatever happens
-
(foll by a clause introduced by but) that may be so
may
2
British
/ meɪ /
noun
-
Also: may tree. a Brit name for hawthorn
-
short for may blossom
May
3
British
/ meɪ /
noun
May
4
British
/ meɪ /
noun
may
5
British
/ meɪ /
noun
may
Idioms
Usage
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.
Commonly Confused
See can 1.
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
Past
Etymology
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”; see Maia ( def. )
Explanation
While may most often appears as a helping verb to indicate that something is possible or allowed, it can also be a noun for a kind of shrub or small tree, also called a "hawthorn." The may has flowers that can range from white to red, and it's also got deep red berries. Since it has a pretty flower that blooms in the spring, it's associated with the month of May. In the 17th-century poem by Robert Herrick, titled "Corinna's Going A-Maying," Corinna is gathering the flowers of the may tree, a springtime activity that goes back as far as medieval times.
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.
See Examples For:
They may have been two members down, but the pop group Katseye received a hero's welcome as they played their first full concert in the UK.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Here are some of the things you can get on or around your birthday - and why they may not all be as free as they seem.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
If continuing to try to pitch jeopardizes Ohtani’s production with his bat, it may be in the team’s best interest to take pitching off the table for him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
AI “alone may not solve America’s fiscal challenges,” the Wells Fargo team wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
If true, it may have explained the real reasons behind the great spirit silence and demonstrated early tension between the sisters.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
The new rule, which has yet to be finalized but is set to take effect in May, would add another.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
Robinhood and Coinbase rally as the price of Bitcoin surges to its highest level since May, fueled by easing Federal Reserve rate hike expectations.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
In May, Coinbase announced layoffs with the aim of having no more than five management levels below its leadership team.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
It described the demolition as the most significant in Masafer Yatta since May 2025.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
He and Anna May were both utterly snazzy compared to me in my low-sashed dress and thin cotton stockings.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
But what other skilled jobs might be created is not clear, and effectively what the data centres will be used for.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Today he’s 77, having turned his long-forgotten record of arrest into a solid record of achievement—and a legacy that will always include the question of what might have been.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
He gave no timeline for when things might end.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
It also comes as OpenAI and rival Anthropic are both racing towards becoming public companies over the next several months, though OpenAI might not hold its IPO till sometime in 2027, according to reports.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
The priest advised the women to keep an eye on him: he might want to take off again.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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.
