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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

Investors may also adopt wait-and-see stance ahead of the BOJ’s two-day meeting starting Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

That compares with the average civilian, who may experience three to four in a lifetime.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

At this week's meeting, he may get what he asked for.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Ms. Borgman’s focus on the dead and their virtues may not be strategic, exactly, but it will keep her from making enemies among the living.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

"She slept like a babe. But we do not sleep on the trail. If we do sleep, we may never wake up."

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Rubio was born in Miami on May 28, 1971, to Cuban parents who had emigrated 15 years earlier to escape poverty.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

The company in May agreed to be acquired by Fertitta and his firm, Fertitta Entertainment, for $31 a share in cash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Officers explained to Ness that they had checked records at the crematorium and found Bush collected the baby's ashes on 13 May - two days after he had presented Ness and Ellerby with the urn.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

U.S. imports of Mexican cattle have been suspended since May 11, 2025 because of the rapid spread of screwworm in Mexico at the time.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Seeing the way Ma glowed at the compliments, I couldn’t help but soften toward Anna May.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

That might disappoint "social first" Burnham, who's made it clear he plans to court content creators to help get his message out.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

"We are aware of concerns that AI infrastructure investment might be slowing down," marketing chief of the AI microchip division Park Joon-deok said on a call with investors and reporters.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

The city has also begun sending out notifications to homeowners that they might be subject to the new tax.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Major hyperscalers and more than a dozen of neocloud companies and AI labs that once might have looked at natural-gas powered and other combustion technologies now choose Bloom as a “superior power solution,” he added.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Ducking, with all my might, I shove the man’s back.

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