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 calledabondance a call in solo whist undertaking to make nine tricks
7. affluence

Other Words From

• prea·bundance 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

Twitter said that it has not yet seen any evidence that these keys were compromised, but alerted developers out of an abundance of caution.

From TechCrunch

The Heat’s abundance of long, rangy stoppers allowed them to throw multiple bodies on Milwaukee’s two best players, Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

From FiveThirtyEight

For example, surveys of the Gulf of Alaska in 2017 noted a large decline in the abundance of valuable Pacific cod, now known to be linked to the Blob heatwave that had ended the year before.

From Science News

The farms race was about, how do you get the food from industrially productive, technologically sophisticated farms, to this display of abundance — and the display was really crucial.

From Freakonomics

At healthy sites, he found that grass and an abundance of mussels often occur together.

From Science News For Students

Mistletoes on mesquite trees in central Mexico have been linked to a greater abundance of tropical bird species.

From The Daily Beast

All the junkies try to transfer to them, for the abundance of morphine.

From The Daily Beast

But in New York City, a metropolis with an abundance of concrete and very few fields of grass, a far more subtle display appears.

From The Daily Beast

She actively, and with glee, imbued their lives with an abundance of misery.

From The Daily Beast

Medical authorities of the day often acted less out of an “abundance of caution” than with a general callousness to humanity.

From The Daily Beast

Fruit-trees are clearly too scarce, though Cherries in abundance were offered for sale as we passed.

From Project Gutenberg

Receive ye discipline as a great sum of money, and possess abundance of gold by her.

From Project Gutenberg

That is, the number of them cut short, and reduced to few, shall flourish in abundance of justice.

From Project Gutenberg

Besides, there is always a bunch of bananas hanging inside the house, and he has sugar-cane in abundance.

From Project Gutenberg

She was dressed in her brightest skirt and fairly shone with the abundance of cheap jewelry she wore.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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