numerous
Americanadjective
-
very many; being or existing in great quantity.
numerous visits;
numerous fish.
-
consisting of or comprising a great number of units or individuals.
Recent audiences have been more numerous.
adjective
-
being many
-
consisting of many units or parts
a numerous collection
Synonym Usage
See many.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of numerous
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin numerōsus “consisting of a great number, numerous,” equivalent to numer(us) number + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
Numerous means very large in quantity. You wouldn’t use numerous to describe how many feet you have (just two), but you could use it to describe the infinite number of shoes in your closet. The adjective numerous is related to the word number — which is no big surprise since it basically means "a large number of something." Use numerous to describe a copious or abundant amount that you can't give a specific number for. Numerous fans probably come out for the all-star game, for example. And numerous players wish they made the all-star team.
Vocabulary lists containing numerous
myPerspectives 8.1
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Much Ado: Synonyms for "Many"
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An Ember in the Ashes
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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.
She had issued numerous appeals for help tracing her father in the years he was missing.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
It draws heavily on news reports and what has so far been released from the Epstein files, but does underscore numerous hurdles the investigation has faced.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
German police deployed a bomb disposal robot at an airport overnight after a drone was found on the tarmac near a Ukrainian cargo plane, sparking alarm and forcing the diversion of numerous flights.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Admissions officers described numerous times where a seemingly far-fetched application proved true, and awed them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Most of the residents started out wishing for Fischer’s victory, but after the numerous false starts, threats, and general difficulties Bobby caused, sympathy began to swing to the gentlemanly Spassky.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
