volume

American  

[vol-yoom, -yuhm] / ˈvɒl jum, -jəm /

noun

• volumes
  plural

1. a collection of written or printed sheets bound together and constituting a book.

2. one book of a related set or series.

3. a set of issues of a periodical, often covering one year.

4. History/Historical. a roll of papyrus, parchment, or the like, or of manuscript.

5. the amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies.

6. a mass or quantity, especially a large quantity, of something.

   a volume of mail.

7. amount; total.

   the volume of sales.

8. the degree of sound intensity or audibility; loudness.

   to turn up the volume on a radio.

9. fullness or quantity of tone.

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idioms

1. speak volumes,

   1. to be very evident or significant.

      Her testimony spoke volumes.

   2. to be expressive or meaningful.

      Your eyes speak volumes.

volume British  

/ ˈvɒljuːm /

noun

1. V. the magnitude of the three-dimensional space enclosed within or occupied by an object, geometric solid, etc

2. a large mass or quantity

   the volume of protest

3. an amount or total

   the volume of exports

4. fullness or intensity of tone or sound

5. the control on a radio, etc, for adjusting the intensity of sound

6. a bound collection of printed or written pages; book

7. any of several books either bound in an identical format or part of a series

8. the complete set of issues of a periodical over a specified period, esp one year

9. history a roll or scroll of parchment, papyrus, etc

10. to convey much significant information

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volume Scientific  

/ vŏl′yo̅o̅m /

1. The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or region of space. Volumes are expressed in cubic units.

2. A measure of the loudness or intensity of a sound.

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volume Cultural  

1. In mathematics, the amount of space occupied by an object measured in three dimensions, expressed in cubic units. In physics, the loudness of a sound.

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volume More Idioms  

1. see speak volumes.

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Synonym Usage

See size ¹.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• volumes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of volume

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English volum(e), from Middle French, from Latin volūmen “roll (of sheets),” from volū- (base of volvere “to roll, turn, twist”) + -men, noun suffix

Explanation

Volume can mean how much space something takes up. You could measure a bean's volume by placing it in water and measuring the water's rise. You can also use volume as you measure sound or the number of books in a series. Your mom might demand that you turn down the volume on your stereo as she reaches for the next volume of Dante's Divine Comedy. She would rather read about Hell in silence.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

volume volumes

Reduced hair volume or density was also substantially more common, affecting 42% of users versus 19% of the control group.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

A high volume water pump is also being used to draw water from the nearby River Clyde.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

"The overall volume must come down significantly," said Sweden's Europe minister Jessica Rosencrantz.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

Having cautioned last year about the prospect of froth in AI, Dalio has turned up the volume this year and begun to speak of the set-up as a bubble at risk of popping.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026

The loud voices began to lose their volume and clarity.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

The comfort and springy design may allow athletes to tolerate higher training volumes or intensities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Both gear types are associated with high levels of waste, routinely hauling in large volumes of non-target species.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

However, it said the "stark reality" was that UK cask ale volumes had more than halved in less than a decade and "this trend looks set to continue across the UK".

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

A company like Netflix might have a bigger moat due to proprietary content and high volumes of daily active users.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

He had not returned to reading his poetry, which filled more than five volumes and lay forgotten at the bottom of his trunk.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• amount
• figure
• number
• quantity
• size
• total