a lot

[uh lot]

noun

1. lot.

adverb

1. lot.

Spelling Note

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of a lot¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

There is "still a lot of work to be done on the 28-point plan", Finnish President Alexander Stubb told AFP in Johannesburg on Sunday.

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“Not a lot of people have the opportunity to leave a legacy that touches generations. But he’s still making people smile every day.”

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"They'll put a lot of resources into making sure it doesn't happen."

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And, as one senior government adviser told the BBC, that means a lot of the "big things" that affect business confidence, including inflation, are expected to fall next year.

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"There can be a lot of benefits to being social, but these friendships have to start somewhere," said Claire O'Connell, the study's lead author and a doctoral student in UC's College of Arts and Sciences.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• entirely 
• substantially 
• totally 
• wholly