may
auxiliary verb
(used to express possibility).
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may
1 American
[mey]
/ meɪ /
auxiliary verb
-
may,
present (3rd person singular)
-
might
past
-
(used to express possibility).
It may rain.
-
(used to express opportunity or permission).
You may enter.
-
(used to express contingency, especially in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.).
I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may change but human nature stays the same.
-
(used to express wish or prayer).
May you live to an old age.
-
Archaic. (used to express ability or power.)
may
2
American
[mey]
/ meɪ /
noun
Archaic.
May
3
American
[mey]
/ meɪ /
noun
-
the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.
-
the early part of one's life, especially the prime.
a young woman in her May.
-
the festivities of May Day.
-
(lowercase) the hawthorn.
-
a female given name.
-
Cape, a cape at the SE tip of New Jersey, on Delaware Bay.
verb (used without object)
may
1
British
/ meɪ /
verb
-
to indicate that permission is requested by or granted to someone
he may go to the park tomorrow if he behaves himself
-
(often foll by well) to indicate possibility
the rope may break
he may well be a spy
-
to indicate ability or capacity, esp in questions
may I help you?
-
to express a strong wish
long may she reign
-
to indicate result or purpose: used only in clauses introduced by that or so that
he writes so that the average reader may understand
-
another word for might 1
-
to express courtesy in a question
whose child may this little girl be?
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in spite of that: a sentence connector conceding the possible truth of a previous statement and introducing an adversative clause
be that as it may, I still think he should come
-
whatever happens
-
(foll by a clause introduced by but) that may be so
may
2
British
/ meɪ /
noun
-
Also: may tree. a Brit name for hawthorn
-
short for may blossom
May
3
British
/ meɪ /
noun
May
4
British
/ meɪ /
noun
may
5
British
/ meɪ /
noun
may
Idioms
Usage
What’s the difference between may and might? May and might can both be used as auxiliary verbs (helping verbs) that express possibility, as in We may/might have some left—let me check. Traditionally, might is considered a weaker form of may—meaning that it expresses a lower degree of possibility that something will happen. Some people might intend to use the two words this way, but in practical terms they are often interchangeable when used in this sense—they usually mean just about the same thing. May and might can also both be used in the context of permission, often as what’s thought to be a more polite substitute for can, as in May/Might I use your restroom? In responses to such questions, it’s usually may that’s used, as in Yes, you may. Saying might in such responses is often meant to make fun of such a use of the word in a way that’s sarcastic or that introduces a condition, usually one that’s not serious, as in Yes, you might, if you knew the password. May is sometimes used to express a wish, as in May you have success. Might is sometimes used to express advisability, as in You might ask before you barge in, you know. In its auxiliary verb sense, might can also be used as the past tense of may. It may seem strange to express possibility in the past tense (now that it is known whether or not something happened), but there are plenty of cases in which it makes sense to do it, such as when it’s still uncertain whether or not something could have happened, as in He might have had a chance to become CEO, but he decided to retire early or She might have come if you had actually invited her. Of course, the word may can also be used in the same way to indicate past tense (She may have come if you had actually invited her). Here’s an example of may and might used correctly in a sentence. Example: We might have been able to go today if it hadn’t rained, but in any case we may try to go again tomorrow. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between may and might.
Commonly Confused
See can 1.
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
Past
Etymology
Origin of may1
First recorded before 900; Middle English mai, 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of mouen “to be able, be strong,” Old English mæg (infinitive magan ); cognate with German mögen
Origin of may2
First recorded before 900; Middle English mai; Old English mæg
Origin of May3
First recorded before 1050; Middle English, Old English Maius, from Latin, short for Maius mēnsis “Maia's month”; see Maia ( def. )
Explanation
While may most often appears as a helping verb to indicate that something is possible or allowed, it can also be a noun for a kind of shrub or small tree, also called a "hawthorn." The may has flowers that can range from white to red, and it's also got deep red berries. Since it has a pretty flower that blooms in the spring, it's associated with the month of May. In the 17th-century poem by Robert Herrick, titled "Corinna's Going A-Maying," Corinna is gathering the flowers of the may tree, a springtime activity that goes back as far as medieval times.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Although investigators haven’t determined a motive for the arboreal attacks, both residents and law enforcement officers have theorized they may be the work of a homeowner seeking to improve property value.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
It may be a more extreme example, but many find themselves in this position.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
“That may not be possible in today’s competitive free-market regime that we operate in,” Gupta said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
An older friend, meanwhile, may have been through a problem you’re facing, and can offer concrete advice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
“I understand. Fifteen is a special age. The age of secrets and discovery. You may hold on to yours.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Yet according to a May 2026 Washington Post investigation, of more than 80,000 “voluntary departure” orders issued by immigration judges between January 2025 and March 2026, more than 70% involved people who were already detained.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
It has been reported that the hacks occurred in May during a test conducted by an independent company that carries out cyber-security evaluations.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The attacks escalated this summer, with 16 trees — 13 Jeffrey pines and three white firs — poisoned on three occasions between May and early August.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The hacks, which the company confirmed on Friday, occurred in May as part of a test run by the company Irregular, which was also involved in similar incidents disclosed by OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Too late, I realized my misstep—Anna May had wanted to use my arrival as an excuse to end the interview, and I’d botched that for her.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
After 22 years, he is getting that chance, but with a twist: The team might never exist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
What explains the insider buying at a time when energy prices and stocks might soon retreat hard?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
If there’s one place to be in the sports world this weekend, it might just be Oxford, Miss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
One of my kids worried aloud that the ship might be “stuck” in the ocean.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The priest and the barber were everyday callers, but they were afraid he might remember past events if he saw either one of them.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
