a number of

Idioms  

1. A collection of persons or things; several. For example, A number of tours are available, or We've visited a number of times. This idiom often is modified by an adjective giving some idea of quantity, as in Only a small number are going. [1300s] Also see any number of.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

a number of

Cruise has known the prince and princess for a number of years and also met William's mother, Princess Diana, and attended her funeral in 1997.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Meta said it has established partnerships with a number of brands, including Shopify, Instacart and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Duration: A measure of volatility for bond portfolios, expressed as a number of years.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

In the United States, the FDA has granted "breakthrough device status" to a number of devices used in this area since 2021.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Aras had said that within the wreck he had seen a number of large copper ingots and that he had actually recovered a bronze knife.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler