ample

[ am-puhl ]

adjective

, am·pler, am·plest.

1. fully sufficient or more than adequate for the purpose or needs; plentiful; enough: ample time to finish.

   an ample supply of water;

   ample time to finish.

2. of sufficient or abundant measure; liberal; copious:

   an ample reward.

   Synonyms: plenteous, lavish, free, generous

   Antonyms: meager, scanty

3. of adequate or more than adequate extent, size, or amount; large; spacious; roomy:

   ample storage space.

   Synonyms: vast, great, capacious, extensive

ample

/ ˈæmpəl /

adjective

1. more than sufficient; abundant

   an ample helping

2. large in size, extent, or amount

   of ample proportions

Derived Forms

• ˈampleness, noun

Other Words From

• ample·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ample¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin amplus “wide, large”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ample¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin amplus spacious

Synonym Study

See plentiful. Ample, liberal, copious, profuse describe degrees of abundant provision. Ample implies a plentiful provision: to give ample praise. Liberal implies provision from a generous supply (more than ample but less than copious ): Liberal amounts of food were distributed to people who needed it. Copious implies an apparently inexhaustible and lavish abundance: a copious flow of tears. Profuse implies a still more unrestrained abundance of provision or flow: profuse in his apologies.

Example Sentences

Partisanship being a helluva drug, there are ample opportunities for both sides to spin this most recent jobs report in whatever direction benefits them most, potentially rendering any historical comparisons irrelevant.

From FiveThirtyEight

Fires are heavily used because fuels build up so fast due to the ample moisture available for plant growth, says Hood.

From Popular-Science

In addition, policymakers in the US should work to permanently repeal the policy in light of ample evidence demonstrating its adverse impact.

From No Straight News

This book is 396 pages long, which will give you an ample amount of material to gaze at, wonder over, and learn from.

From Popular-Science

Roughly 30 miles east of Death Valley National Park and 30 miles west of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, this 18-foot tepee at Water Rock Ranch is surrounded by ample hiking and climbing.

From Outside Online

For anything to work, including law itself, there must be ample room for individual responsibility.

From The Daily Beast

The Senate report provides ample evidence of many problems to correct.

From The Daily Beast

Three years later, Washington came armed with ample alcohol—enough for a half gallon for every voter—and won with 331 votes.

From The Daily Beast

Do you feel they did an ample job of portraying his troubled later years—in particular, the violence towards women?

From The Daily Beast

It typically came with a desk in the building, and ample access to lawmakers.

From The Daily Beast

His idea was that there would be ample time later to order a concentration on either wing or on the centre.

From Project Gutenberg

Arrived at the dépôt, I discharged my porter, sat down and waited for the place to open, with ample leisure for reflection.

From Project Gutenberg

Large divans of the richest crimson and violet brocades lined the walls, while ample curtains of the same served in lieu of doors.

From Project Gutenberg

Ample tolerance of all religions and sects, but abolition and expulsion of all monastic Orders.

From Project Gutenberg

When the owner can afford it, an ample supply of cushions and shawls makes the clumsy vehicle more comfortable for its occupant.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abundant
• bountiful
• broad
• copious
• expansive
• extensive
• generous
• great
• plentiful
• spacious
• substantial
• voluminous
• wide

More About Ample

What does ample mean?

Ample means enough—sufficient or adequate. It can also mean more than enough—plentiful or abundant.

It is often used in the context of things like time, room, space, supplies, or resources (such as food and money) to indicate that there is enough or more than enough of what is needed.

Sometimes, ample means large in size, extent, or amount, as in It was an ample tract of land. 

Ample can be used in front of a noun, as in We have ample funds to cover the purchase, or elsewhere in the sentence, as in The payment was ample. 

The adverb form of ample is amply, meaning sufficiently or abundantly, as in He gave amply to charity. 

Example: There was no one else there, so there was ample space to spread out.

Where does ample come from?

The first records of the word ample come from the 1400s. It comes from the Latin amplus, meaning “large,” “wide,” or “spacious.” The words amplitude and amplify are based on the same root.

Amplitude can refer to the state of being ample, but it’s typically used in a more specific way in technical and scientific measurements. More commonly, the noun ampleness refers to the state of having enough or more than enough. Ample has many common synonyms, and it also has many antonyms (opposites) that mean “not enough,” including insufficient, inadequate, scant, scanty, and meager.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ample?

• ampleness (noun)
• amply (adverb)

What are some synonyms for ample?

• enough
• sufficient
• adequate
• plentiful
• abundant
• copious
• bountiful
• substantial

What are some words that share a root or word element with ample? 

 

• amplitude
• amplify

What are some words that often get used in discussing ample?

• time
• room
• space
• reward
• resources
• money
• evidence
• proof
• opportunity
• provide
• offer

How is ample used in real life?

Ample can be used to describe both tangible things, such as food and water, and intangible ones, such as space and time.

The easiest way to create social media content that doesn’t have a “hello fellow kids” vibe is to hire young people to run digital strategy and give them ample resources to do their job. It’s not rocket science

— Ethan Gardner 🏛🚂 (@ethanhgardner) January 2, 2021

Ample space with 16-28’ clear height! 🤩 #industrialrealestate pic.twitter.com/WOVopkPv0X

— CapRock Partners (@caprockpartners) January 4, 2021

Years in future when they try to understand an entire nation's collapse of conscience, I hope there's ample documentation now of the role a morally corrupt media and celebrities played in it.

— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) November 30, 2020

 

Try using ample!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of ample? 

A. scanty
B. plentiful
C. bountiful
D. abundant