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

This trade-off almost always falls on the side of maximizing your reach and volume.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

Luckily, the first volume got a boost when Jacob Elordi was photographed reading it during a marathon Frankenstein makeup session.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

These include a proliferation of tiny exchanges: There are now 18 stock exchanges, most of which handle less than 1% of total U.S. trading volume, up from eight in 2005, SEC data shows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

“With no expense spared, this property boasts luxury quality construction, with grand scale and volume throughout, flooded with fresh air and brilliant Southern California sunlight,” the description states.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

“You know, preseason doesn’t count,” Nana Abu says as he shuffles over to the sofa and switches on the TV, with the volume turned up extra loud.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

However, the expected volumes remain modest at market scale.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Revenue and other income climbed 18% to HK$8.50 billion, driven by higher trading and clearing fees on rising volumes across the cash, derivatives and commodities markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Unnamed is publishing in five volumes over five years, “an epic publishing project for any publisher,” Heiser says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

The company attributed the lower outlook to a roughly $600 million impact from currency translations, as well as a more measured view of German volumes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Glancing at the bookcases, I thought I could distinguish the two volumes of Bewick’s British Birds occupying their old place on the third shelf, and Gulliver’s Travels and the Arabian Nights ranged just above.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

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