may

¹

[ mey ]

auxiliary verb

3rd: maypast: mightpresent plural: maypresent singular 1st person: may2nd: may or (Archaic) mayest or mayst

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) British. 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 /

noun

1. See maiden
   an archaic word for maiden

may

²

/ meɪ /

noun

1. See hawthorn
   Alsomay tree a Brit name for hawthorn
2. See may blossom
   short for may blossom

May

³

/ meɪ /

noun

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

May

⁴

/ meɪ /

noun

1. MayRobert McCredie, Baron1936MAustralianSCIENCE: biologistSCIENCE: ecologist Robert McCredie , Baron. born 1936, Australian biologist and ecologist

may

⁵

/ 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. See might
   another word for might 1
7. to express courtesy in a question

   whose child may this little girl be?

8. be that as it may
   be that as it may 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. come what may
   come what may whatever happens
10. that's as may be
    that's as may be foll by a clause introduced by but that may be so

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

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

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

Willie Nelson and Norah Jones May-December fireplace flirting.

From The Daily Beast

Under the strain of that feeling, many single men through the ages have adopted a devil-may-care attitude.

From The Daily Beast

Can you imagine Walters, his executive-producing partner, post-May 16, lurking with him behind the cameras?

From The Daily Beast

Jollity and gloom were contending for an empire,” wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne in his story “The May-Pole of Merry Mount.

From The Daily Beast

Then will come mid-May, when Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling again.

From The Daily Beast

His attitude was somewhat devil-may-care, his grip on life itself seemed slipping.

From Project Gutenberg

In certain moods he possessed that dash and devil-may-care air which pleases most women, providing the man is a cosmopolitan.

From Project Gutenberg

I recollect your 'May-day in the morning'—cuss me, the best comick song I ever heard.

From Project Gutenberg

On dark cold windy days, during the May-fly season you will find the small fly a much better killer than the May-fly.

From Project Gutenberg

May-be you expected to have a china bowl and pitcher in your room, and somebody to empty your slop.

From Project Gutenberg