abundance

[uh-buhn-duhns]

noun

1. an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply.

   an abundance of grain.

   Synonyms: plenteousness, copiousness
   Antonyms: scarcity

2. overflowing fullness.

   abundance of the heart.

   Synonyms: generosity

3. affluence; wealth.

   the enjoyment of abundance.

4. Physics, Chemistry.,  the number of atoms of one isotope of an element divided by the total number of atoms in a mixture of the isotopes.

abundance

/ əˈbʌndəns /

noun

1. a copious supply; great amount

2. fullness or benevolence

   from the abundance of my heart

3. degree of plentifulness

4. chem the extent to which an element or ion occurs in the earth's crust or some other specified environment: often expressed in parts per million or as a percentage

5. physics the ratio of the number of atoms of a specific isotope in a mixture of isotopes of an element to the total number of atoms present: often expressed as a percentage

   the abundance of neon-22 in natural neon is 8.82 per cent

6. Also called: abondance. a call in solo whist undertaking to make nine tricks

7. affluence

Other Word Forms

• preabundance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of abundance¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin abundantia. See abundant, -ance

Word History and Origins

Origin of abundance¹

C14: via Old French from Latin abundantia, from abundāre to _abound

Synonym Study

See plenty.

Example Sentences

I got other stuff that I want to do, to prepare for ‘First Take’ the next day, the next morning, and to do an abundance of other things that I aspire to do.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

According to the study, this symbiosis offers Sargassum a competitive advantage over other algae in the Equatorial Atlantic and helps explain the changes in Sargassum abundance recorded in past years.

Read more on Science Daily

An abundance of knitted sweaters and scarves began to appear on the household staff, which gave a cozy feeling to the grand house.

Read more on Literature

But now that we lived in a city for the first time, we exercised an abundance of caution.

Read more on Literature

They were enticed by cheap land and electricity, especially the abundance of renewable energy in West Texas that was sometimes stranded when transmission lines reached capacity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• affluence 
• bounty 
• myriad 
• plenty 
• plethora 
• profusion 
• prosperity 
• riches 
• wealth