means
Britishnoun
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(functioning as singular or plural) the medium, method, or instrument used to obtain a result or achieve an end
a means of communication
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(functioning as plural) resources or income
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(functioning as plural) considerable wealth or income
a man of means
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without hesitation or doubt; certainly
come with us by all means
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with the use or help of
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definitely not
he was by no manner of means a cruel man
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on no account; in no way
by no means come!
Explanation
Someone who has wealth beyond the average person is said to be a person of means. Means can also mean the way something happens. You should try to resolve your fight with your brother through peaceful means––noogies are so undignified. The expression "the end justifies the means" is an example of this usage — basically, you are saying that even if the method used to get the result was bad, the result was good enough to make it okay. The tools needed to do something can also be called the means. You don't have the means to make an art project if you need paint and feathers and you have neither.
Vocabulary lists containing means
Haiti Earthquake One-Year Report
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Unit 7, Words to Know
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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.
This means that temperatures will increase, with 30C back on the cards.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, said “every campaign is entitled to run the race that they believe matches their story,” even if that means questioning the party’s past performance.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
"MouseMapper is built on a foundation model, which means it generalizes far beyond the data it was originally trained on," says Ying Chen, co-first author of the study.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
“When I see them popping up on the sand, it means everyone is back here enjoying the beach,” Wrightsville homeowner Tracy Dix said contentedly.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
My nights off are Fridays and Saturdays, so Monday morning means I have four shifts left until my weekend.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
