many
Americanadjective
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constituting or forming a large number; numerous.
many people.
- Synonyms:
- various, sundry, divers, myriad, multitudinous, multifarious
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noting each one of a large number (usually followed by a oran ).
For many a day it rained.
noun
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a large or considerable number of persons or things.
A good many of the beggars were blind.
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the many, the greater part of humankind.
pronoun
determiner
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a large number of
many coaches
many times
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( as pronoun; functioning as plural )
many are seated already
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each of a considerable number of
many a man
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a great number of
as many apples as you like
too many clouds to see
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( as pronoun; functioning as plural )
I have as many as you
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noun
Synonym Usage
Many, innumerable, manifold, numerous imply the presence or succession of a large number of units. Many is a popular and common word for this idea: many times. Numerous, a more formal word, refers to a great number or to very many units: letters too numerous to mention. Innumerable denotes a number that is beyond count or, more loosely, that is extremely difficult to count: the innumerable stars in the sky. Manifold implies not only that the number is large but also that there is variety or complexity.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of many
First recorded before 900; Middle English mani, meni, Old English manig, menig; akin to Old Saxon, Old High German manag, menig, Danish mange, Gothic manags
Explanation
If you have a great number of refrigerator magnets, you have many of them. Many means "a lot of items." Many can be traced back to the Welsh word mynych meaning "frequent." To get many of something, you do something frequently, or often, like having many miles on a car because you often drive it long distances. If you ask, "How many people will be at the party?" you want to know the number of guests who are expected. If the answer is "many," you know there will be numerous people, though you haven't been given an exact figure.
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:
After opening his boutique, he designed for many stars included Mick and Bianca Jagger, Jane Birkin and Natalie Wood.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
During its long history, the Jacobian conjecture has been the subject of many claimed proofs, including by Beniamino Segre and Wolfgang Gröbner, two famed 20th-century mathematicians.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
Public health officials say the virus can remain in the air and on surfaces for many hours, even after an infected person has left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The hostility underscored a widening gulf between legacy networks and a growing ecosystem of independent digital outlets that many young Indians increasingly turn to for news.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
His friends the priest, the barber, and Samson came to see him many times daily.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Met Office climate scientists are clear: the heatwaves of 2026 are exacerbated by climate change, and the UK will see more hot dry summers more often.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
In other words, very few wide players became involved in dangerous attacking situations more regularly.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
From September, schools cannot mandate more than three uniform items to have school branding.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
In summer 2025, more than 2,100 children participated, a slight drop on the attendance in the two previous summers - with 2,630 recorded in 2024 and 2,250 in 2023.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
By June 30, more than 850,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies arrive in France.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Unlike most newly-listed firms, SpaceX shares are set to be released in stages: the first 20% on 6 August, with more due in batches through the rest of the year.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Both examples illustrate one of the most striking strengths of AI models.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
Plans for deep-sea mining exploration are most advanced for a vast sweep of ocean near American Samoa, a US territory nestled between New Zealand and Hawaii in the South Pacific.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Japan, which imports most of its energy, is facing a double whammy of the higher oil prices that affect everyone and even higher prices in yen terms as the currency plumbed new depths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
“I get that he’s selfish, but most of the things he does, like the business, he does for Jonah and me. So we can do things together.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
