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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  

[may] / 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  

[may] / meɪ /

noun

Archaic.

1. a maiden.

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May ³ American  

[may] / 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

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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. )

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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

It helps support muscle performance and recovery, and may aid brain function.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

While today's announcement may have surprised some, the timing now allows Wiegman and the players to focus fully on World Cup qualification, without the distraction of a looming succession plan.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

But the biggest difference may be the outsized U.S. role in financial markets.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

Agents may save consumers time, but e-commerce merchants have new work to do.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

“I am SO starved! I’m famished! If I don’t eat soon, I may simply die on the spot!”

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Bland, a former primary school teacher and police officer, was among 17 Reform candidates to be returned to the Scottish Parliament in May as the party made its electoral breakthrough north of the border.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

She had listed the home for just under $10 million in May 2020, after her split from her husband.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

The European Commission had unconditionally approved the deal in May 2024, but opened an investigation in July 2025 following complaints from third parties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

China is focused on developing undersea sensors, weapons and autonomous vehicles to counter US submarines, the US Navy's intelligence director told a US government committee in May.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Thanks to the movie magazines, I also knew that Anna May was nineteen, just three years older than me.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

At first glance, Trent performed as Fox producers no doubt hoped he might.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

Other details are murkier, including when and how Anthropic shareholders might be able to override the trust.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

"They just thought that I might need to drink more or that it might just have been hormonal from giving birth only the day prior, so I thought nothing of it."

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

But attention is likely to focus more on how private capital, not public finances, might help plug the shortfall.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Indeed, if you're looking at your brain from the outside, you might wonder if you're holding the cortex backwards.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

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