What does "among" mean?
Along with (someone or something); together.
Among
/əˈmʌŋ/ adv, prep
adv, prep ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Along with (someone or something); together.
- Grammar: among is listed as adv, prep.
- Nearest alternatives: across, amid, amid, amid.
- Useful contrasts: between spaces, between, betwixt.
- Usage evidence: My next door neighbor is a virtuoso whose skills with the piano have earned him a name among music experts.
How to use "among"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "among" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "among" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "among" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "among" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "among" is acting as adv, prep in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "across" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "among", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adverb
- 1 Along with (someone or something); together. obsolete
"Yeat interlace vve ſhall among the Loue of her and him: […]"
- 2 At the same time, all the while, meanwhile. obsolete
- 3 In addition, beside. obsolete
- 4 Chiefly with contrasting adjectives or adverbs: from time to time, now and then; also, here and there. obsolete
"[Y[our beſt vvay is, to direct your courſe Eaſt North-eaſt, and North-eaſt by Eaſt, among; […]"
Preposition
- 1 Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).
"to put the cat among the pigeons"
- 2 Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).; Associated with or living alongside (other people or things).
"How can you speak with authority about their customs when you have never lived among them?"
- 3 Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).; Belonging to (a group comprising similar people or things).
"He is among the few who completely understand the subject."
- 4 Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).; Distinct in some way from (other members of a group); specifically, superior or pre-eminent compared to (other members of a group).
"When the history of this Nation, and our great State is written, it shall be recorded that John Dent was a giant among men, a humanitarian, and most of all, a man dedicated not only to the people who elected him, but a man dedicated to the nation as well."
- 5 Of an event or a fact.; Originally, in the course of; during; now, in the circumstances or context of.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Of an event or a fact.; Distributed or divided between (members of a group).
"And if you come hether, / When Damſines [damsons] I gether, / I will part them all you among."
- 7 Of an event or a fact.; Done jointly by (two or more people).
"[Y]ou haue among you, kild a ſvveet and innocent lady: […]"
- 8 Of an event or a fact.; In the general custom or opinion of (members of a group).
"Foraſmuch as many haue taken in hande to ſet foorth in order a declaration of thoſe things which are moſt ſurely beeleued among vs, […] It ſeemed good to me alſo, hauing had perfect vnderſtanding of things from the very firſt, to write vnto thee in order, moſt excellent Theophilus, That thou mighteſt know the certaintie of thoſe things wherein thou haſt bene inſtructed."
- 9 Of an event or a fact.; Occurring between (members of a group) or within (a group).
"Lactose intolerance is common among people of Asian heritage."
Example
"My next door neighbor is a virtuoso whose skills with the piano have earned him a name among music experts."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "among"?
Common synonyms include: across, amid, amid, amid, amidst, amidst.
How do you use "among" in a sentence?
My next door neighbor is a virtuoso whose skills with the piano have earned him a name among music experts.
How do you pronounce "among"?
Pronounced /əˈmʌŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Old English on Proto-Germanic *ga- Proto-West Germanic *ga- Old English ġe- Old English mang Old English ġemang Old English onġemang Old English amang Middle English among English among The preposition is derived from Middle English among, amang, amange, amonge (“in the presence of, amid, among; in, within; between; during”), from Old English amang, onġemang (preposition), from on (“on, among, in”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on, onto”)) + ġemang (“crowd; mixture”, noun) (from ġe- (prefix forming nouns denoting association or similarity) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, by; near; with”)) + mang- (from mængan, mengan (“to mingle, mix”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *menk- (“to knead; to press”))). By surface analysis, a- (prefix meaning ‘at; in; on’) + mong (“crowd, throng; group”). The adverb is derived from Middle English among, amang (“accompanied by, along with, by the side of, in association with, together; all the while, continually; also, besides; at the same time; from time to time, occasionally; meanwhile; within”), from Old English onġemang (adverb): see further above. cognates * Dutch mank, maank (“among”) * German mang (“among”) (dialectal) * German Low German mank, manken (“among”) * Saterland Frisian monk, monken (“among”) * West Frisian mank (“among”)