many

American  

[men-ee] / ˈmɛn i /

adjective

more, most

1. constituting or forming a large number; numerous.

   many people.

   Synonyms:

   various, sundry, divers, myriad, multitudinous, multifarious

   Antonyms:

   single, few

2. noting each one of a large number (usually followed by a oran ).

   For many a day it rained.

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noun

1. a large or considerable number of persons or things.

   A good many of the beggars were blind.

2. the many, the greater part of humankind.

pronoun

1. many persons or things.

   Many of the beggars were blind. Many were unable to attend.

many British  

/ ˈmɛnɪ /

determiner

1. 1. a large number of

      many coaches

      many times

   2. ( as pronoun; functioning as plural )

      many are seated already

2. each of a considerable number of

   many a man

3. 1. a great number of

      as many apples as you like

      too many clouds to see

   2. ( as pronoun; functioning as plural )

      I have as many as you

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noun

1. the majority of mankind, esp the common people Compare few

   the many are kept in ignorance while the few prosper

many Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing many

• as many
• good (great) many
• in so many words
• irons in the fire, too many
• so many
• too many cooks spoil the broth

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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

• overmany
  adjective

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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

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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

See Examples For:

many more most

“Now many of those momentum buyers are selling,” Arora said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

But although some patients, once medicated, could live rewarding and independent lives, funding for reliable community treatment never materialized, leaving many of the most seriously ill unsupported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

“My earlier statement didn’t go far enough. I know many people are suffering economically,” she wrote “Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

There were many army, naval and RAF personnel stationed across the isles and coastal defences were built to defend Lerwick and the rest of the archipelago.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

I think: So many eyes are watching me.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

“And then that leaves you more susceptible to selling, because there’s less dry powder to buy dips,” he added.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

This time, however, many investors are already more fully invested in tech names, which means “it’s hard to continue rallying, even if you have good news,” according to Sosnick at Interactive Brokers.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

The U.S. commercial business brought in more money than the U.S. government segment in the third quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

The AI edge will likely accrue to the largest firms—or, more concerning for the legal profession, to technology companies, which can raise capital freely and may displace law firms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The iron damages the left hemisphere more than the right, the front of the frontal cortex more than the back, the underside more than the top.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

He noted that Monday’s action was similar to the past month, with most of the S&P 500’s 11 sectors positive while tech “once again pulled the major indexes lower.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

The list of the sell side’s top 10 most favored names was dominated by stocks in the information technology and communication services sectors.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

But for most traders, the underlying structure makes little difference.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Elections experts point to the administration’s many losses in court as evidence that its efforts are not working, and said most voters won’t experience any problems with casting their ballots.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Swimmers are gathered in groups along the length of the pool deck, some of them stretching, most of them chatting and bouncing on their heels with nervous excitement.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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