a lot

American  

[uh lot] / ə ˈlɒt /

noun

1. lot.

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adverb

1. lot.

a lot Idioms  

1. Very many, a large number; also, very much. For example, A lot of people think the economy is declining, or Sad movies always made her cry a lot. It is sometimes put as a whole lot for greater emphasis, as in I learned a whole lot in his class. It may also emphasize a comparative indication of amount, as in We need a whole lot more pizza to feed everyone, or Mary had a lot less nerve than I expected. [Colloquial; early 1800s]

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Spelling

As a noun and adverb, a lot is frequently misspelled as alot.

Etymology

Origin of a lot

First recorded in 1820–30

Compare meaning

How does a-lot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• allot vs. a lot

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

a lot

Investing at scale in new technology invites pushback and Intrator said he hears the word “no” a lot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

I was listening to a lot of jazz when I started to work on “Femme Fatale,” and wanted it to have that specific sound that you hear on the title track.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

"We've probably underinvested in the last decade and now we're trying to catch up so there's quite a lot of spending," says Frankie Mayo, an energy analyst from Ember Energy.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

“Because there’s no Medicare for those five years before 65, it’s a lot more expensive period of time to try to cover your health expenses,” said Robert Schmidt, a principal at Milliman.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

After she died, we learned that she supported a lot of other kids who couldn’t afford lessons.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• entirely
• substantially
• totally
• wholly