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• may
  may

  auxiliary verb

  (used to express possibility).
• May
  May

  noun

  the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.

may

¹ American  

[mey] / meɪ /

auxiliary verb

• may,
  present (3rd person singular)
• might
  past

1. (used to express possibility).

   It may rain.

2. (used to express opportunity or permission).

   You may enter.

3. (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.

4. (used to express wish or prayer).

   May you live to an old age.

5. Archaic. (used to express ability or power.)

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may ² American  

[mey] / meɪ /

noun

Archaic.

1. a maiden.

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May ³ American  

[mey] / meɪ /

noun

1. the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.

2. the early part of one's life, especially the prime.

   a young woman in her May.

3. the festivities of May Day.

4. (lowercase) the hawthorn.

5. a female given name.

6. Cape, a cape at the SE tip of New Jersey, on Delaware Bay.

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verb (used without object)

1. (lowercase) to gather flowers in the spring.

   when we were maying.

may ¹ British  

/ meɪ /

verb

1. to indicate that permission is requested by or granted to someone

   he may go to the park tomorrow if he behaves himself

2. (often foll by well) to indicate possibility

   the rope may break

   he may well be a spy

3. to indicate ability or capacity, esp in questions

   may I help you?

4. to express a strong wish

   long may she reign

5. to indicate result or purpose: used only in clauses introduced by that or so that

   he writes so that the average reader may understand

6. another word for might 1

7. to express courtesy in a question

   whose child may this little girl be?

8. 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

9. whatever happens

10. (foll by a clause introduced by but) that may be so

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may ² British  

/ meɪ /

noun

1. Also: may tree.  a Brit name for hawthorn

2. short for may blossom

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May ³ British  

/ meɪ /

noun

1. the fifth month of the year, consisting of 31 days

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May ⁴ British  

/ meɪ /

noun

1. Robert McCredie , Baron. born 1936, Australian biologist and ecologist

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may ⁵ British  

/ meɪ /

noun

1. an archaic word for maiden

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may Idioms  

1. see be that as it may; come what may; let the chips fall where they may; to whom it may concern.

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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

• may
  simple

Past

• might
  simple

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

See Examples For:

may May might

I’m grateful for what my parents have given me, but I feel shoehorned into an investment strategy that may no longer fit my circumstances.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

I confess that the Multistrada is a sentimental favorite from my youth—well, middle age—such that I may put aside some rational considerations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Those around the prime minister are conscious, too, of the difficult decisions that may lie ahead.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

But “owning the value space,” including financial stocks, may help dampen some of the volatility stirred up in the “AI complex,” he added.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

“It may be a sick world, but it certainly has some lovely and wonderful people in it!”

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Since May, the U.S. has added a paltry 60,000 jobs — and employment even fell in July.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Hazmi and Mihdhar stayed in their apartment until the end of May that year, and then moved out.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

May he go on to write other books as rich and intriguing as this one.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

In a poll conducted this May by the Pew Research Center, 62 percent of respondents said they held a negative view of Israeli authorities, compared to 51 percent in April 2019.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

“Ruby goes to Polytech,” Anna May told James.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

She might need a little more oversight than you are used to giving.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

“If your goal is to increase student well-being, you might be encouraged by this,” he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

And, if the wins keep piling up, San Dimas might need to put a fence around his classroom so no one steals him away.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Most prime ministers enter PMQs with a thick folder of notes covering what they hope is every conceivable question they might face.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 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