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

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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

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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

Higher volume could then generate more total profit.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

The company said on the call that volume production will start in the third quarter of 2027, slightly ahead of schedule.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

They are spread across numerous chats that can become all but lost in the volume of messages over the course of a day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

“It was flood the zone. It was trying to overwhelm with speed and volume, and we kept pace every time.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

A big TV screen flickered, the volume turned down.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Also under the deal, FAA managers and union representatives will hammer out new shift guidelines to maximize staffing during high traffic volumes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

About 330 million barrels have already been released, and the agency said total releases would exceed the 400 million barrels initially agreed upon in March, with some members contributing additional volumes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Their frequency correlates with increasing volumes of oil moving via the strait and dwindling Iranian control, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

And while only 16% of employers it surveyed are using AI to screen candidates, more than half plan to introduce it due to the large volumes of applications they are receiving.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Just as Kepler measured the volumes of barrels with his thin slices, Cavalieri added up an infinite number of these indivisible zeros to figure out the area or the volume of a geometric object.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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Related Words

• amount
• figure
• number
• quantity
• size
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