among

[ uh-muhng ]

See synonyms for among on Thesaurus.com

preposition

in, into, or through the midst of; in association or connection with; surrounded by: He was among friends.
in the midst of, so as to influence: missionary work among the local people.

with a share for each of: Divide the cigars among you.
in the number, class, or group of; of or out of: That is among the things we must do.
by all or with the whole of; by most or with many of: popular among the people.
by the joint or reciprocal action of: Settle it among yourselves.
each with the other; mutually: They quarreled among themselves.
familiar to or characteristic of: a proverb among the Spanish.

Origin of among

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English amang, onmang for on gemang, on gemonge (dative singular of gemong “crowd,” akin to mengan “to mix”) “in (the) group (of)”; akin to mingle

confusables note For among

See between.

Words that may be confused with among

1. amid, among
2. among , between (see confusables note at between)

Words Nearby among

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use among in a sentence

Certainly, she seems to command near-total devotion among her clients.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Who among Scalise's constituents could possibly care if he supported naming a post office for a black judge who died in 1988?
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence | Jason Berry | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
One topic that comes up among the members, she says, is dealing with loss years later.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone | Samantha Levine | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
He finished second in 2008 behind John McCain, and maintains a reservoir of good will among Republican social conservatives.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen? | Lloyd Green | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST

among the Perpendicular additions to the church last named may be noted a very beautiful oaken rood-screen.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 4 | Various
Mrs. Woodbury paints in oils and water-colors; the latter are genre scenes, and among them are several Dutch subjects.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine Clement
At this moment an extraordinary commotion began among the watches.
Davy and The Goblin | Charles E. Carryl
His zeal led him among foreigners as a missionary; after visiting Bohemia, he went among the Poles, by whom he was killed.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
Botanists have enumerated between forty and fifty varieties of the tobacco plant who class them all among the narcotic poisons.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.

British Dictionary definitions for among

among

amongst

/ (əˈmʌŋ) /

preposition

in the midst of: he lived among the Indians
to each of: divide the reward among yourselves

in the group, class, or number of: ranked among the greatest writers
taken out of (a group): he is only one among many
with one another within a group; by the joint action of: a lot of gossip among the women employees; decide it among yourselves

Origin of among

Old English amang, contracted from on gemang in the group of, from on + gemang crowd; see mingle, mongrel

among

See between

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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