many

English Online Dictionary. What means many‎? What does many mean?

English

Alternative forms

• manie (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English many, mani, moni, from Old English maniġ, moniġ, maneġ (“many”), from Proto-West Germanic *manag, from Proto-Germanic *managaz (“some, much, many”).

The noun is from Middle English manye, *menye, from Old English manigeo, menigu (“company, multitude, host”), from Proto-West Germanic *managu, *managī, from Proto-Germanic *managō, *managį̄ (“multitude”), from the same root as the determiner. Cognate with Middle Low German menige, menie, menje (“multitude”), Russian много (mnogo), Serbo-Croatian mnogo.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛni/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛni/
  • Rhymes: -ɛni
  • (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪni/
    • Homophone: mini (pin–pen merger)
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈmæni/
  • Rhymes: -æni
• Hyphenation: ma‧ny
• (Ireland) Homophones: mannie, Mannie, manny, Manny

Determiner

many (comparative more, superlative most)

1. An indefinite large number of.

   Synonym: numerous

   Antonyms: a couple of, a few, a handful of, several; one; no, zero

   Hypernyms: multiple, various

   Hyponym: countless
2. (in combinations such as 'as many', 'so many', 'this many') Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the number of people or things.

Usage notes

• Many is used only with the plural of countable nouns (except in the combination many a). Its counterpart used with uncountable nouns is much. Many and much merge in the comparative and superlative forms, which are more and most for both determiners.

• It was once common to use the indefinite article with many (very a many years ago), as it still is with few (a few good men). However, this has fallen out of favor except in formations such as "a great/good many."

Synonyms

• a lot of

Antonyms

• few

Derived terms

Translations

Pronoun

many

1. An indefinite large number of people or things.

Antonyms

• few

Derived terms

• many-to-many
• one-to-many

Related terms

• how many
• many a
• so many

Translations

Noun

many (plural (rare) manies)

1. A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.

   Synonyms: crowd, mob; see also Thesaurus:commonalty

2. A considerable number.

   Synonyms: abundance, buttload, deal; see also Thesaurus:lot

Translations

Adjective

many (comparative more, superlative most)

1. Existing in large number; numerous.

Synonyms

• multiple, several; see also Thesaurus:manifold

See also

• Thesaurus:quantifier

References

• “many”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• MYAN, Myan., myna

Maricopa

Pronoun

many

1. (personal) you

Turkmen

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic مَعْنَى (maʕnā).

Pronunciation

Noun

many (definite accusative manyny, plural manylar)

1. meaning, sense

Declension

Further reading

• “many” in Enedilim.com
• “many” in Webonary.org

Yola

Etymology

From Middle English mani, from Old English maniġ, from Proto-West Germanic *manag.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈniː/

Adjective

many

1. many

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 86