volume

American  

[vol-yoom, -yuhm] / ˈvɒl jum, -jəm /

noun

• volumes
  plural

1. a collection of written or printed sheets bound together and constituting a book.

2. one book of a related set or series.

3. a set of issues of a periodical, often covering one year.

4. History/Historical. a roll of papyrus, parchment, or the like, or of manuscript.

5. the amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies.

6. a mass or quantity, especially a large quantity, of something.

   a volume of mail.

7. amount; total.

   the volume of sales.

8. the degree of sound intensity or audibility; loudness.

   to turn up the volume on a radio.

9. fullness or quantity of tone.

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idioms

1. speak volumes,

   1. to be very evident or significant.

      Her testimony spoke volumes.

   2. to be expressive or meaningful.

      Your eyes speak volumes.

volume British  

/ ˈvɒljuːm /

noun

1.  V.  the magnitude of the three-dimensional space enclosed within or occupied by an object, geometric solid, etc

2. a large mass or quantity

   the volume of protest

3. an amount or total

   the volume of exports

4. fullness or intensity of tone or sound

5. the control on a radio, etc, for adjusting the intensity of sound

6. a bound collection of printed or written pages; book

7. any of several books either bound in an identical format or part of a series

8. the complete set of issues of a periodical over a specified period, esp one year

9. history a roll or scroll of parchment, papyrus, etc

10. to convey much significant information

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volume Scientific  

/ vŏl′yo̅o̅m /

1. The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or region of space. Volumes are expressed in cubic units.

2. A measure of the loudness or intensity of a sound.

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volume Cultural  

1. In mathematics, the amount of space occupied by an object measured in three dimensions, expressed in cubic units. In physics, the loudness of a sound.

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volume More Idioms  

1. see speak volumes.

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Synonym Usage

See size ¹.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• volumes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of volume

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English volum(e), from Middle French, from Latin volūmen “roll (of sheets),” from volū- (base of volvere “to roll, turn, twist”) + -men, noun suffix

Explanation

Volume can mean how much space something takes up. You could measure a bean's volume by placing it in water and measuring the water's rise. You can also use volume as you measure sound or the number of books in a series. Your mom might demand that you turn down the volume on your stereo as she reaches for the next volume of Dante's Divine Comedy. She would rather read about Hell in silence.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

volume volumes

Last month marked a grim milestone: the combined volume of both reservoirs hit their lowest level since 1957, when Glen Canyon Dam was still under construction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

The deafening volume at SoFi was the only aspect of the show that got in the way.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Global liquidity measures the total ease of financing, availability of credit, and volume of cross-border financial flows across world markets.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Specialist glasses had sold out at many retailers, including those recommended by UK health officials, with Royal Museums Greenwich citing an "unprecedented volume" of demand.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

The howls quickly gained in volume, which prompted Penelope to jump up and close the windows.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Lower-priced categories, which sell in higher volumes, have performed poorly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Hannover Re said treaty volumes increased by 12%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Retail sales volumes were up 2% for the 52 weeks that ended July 12, according to market-research firm Circana.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

It spoke volumes that Liverpool finished the game with Luke Chambers and Wataru Endo at centre-back.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

There were only four volumes of trial proceedings, which meant that the trial had been short.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• amount
• figure
• number
• quantity
• size
• total