What does "many" mean?
A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.
Many
/ˈmɛni/ adj, det, name, noun, pron
adj, det, name, noun, pron ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.
- Grammar: many is listed as adj, det, name, noun, pron.
- Nearest alternatives: dozen, a few, a great many, a great number.
- Useful contrasts: sole, lone unit, numerous.
- Usage evidence: How many close friends do you have?
How to use "many"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "many" 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 "many" 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 "many" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "many" 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 "many" is acting as adj, det, name, noun, pron 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 "dozen" 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 "many", 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
Noun
- 1 A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.
"Democracy must balance the rights of the few against the will of the many."
- 2 A considerable number.
"I know that my mother cried a many of times from decisions I made."
Adjective
- 1 Existing in large number; numerous.
"Let’s take these fears about a rich, strong China to their logical extreme. The U.S. and Chinese governments are always disagreeing—about trade, foreign policy, the environment. Someday the disagreement could be severe. Taiwan, Tibet, North Korea, Iran—the possibilities are many, though Taiwan always heads the list."
Adjective
- 1 a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by ‘as’ or ‘too’ or ‘so’ or ‘that’; amounting to a large but indefinite number; quantifier, plural pronoun; quantifier, plural wordnet
Determiner
- 1 before a countable noun: A large, indefinite number of.
"Not many such people enjoyed playing chess."
- 2 before a countable noun: (in combinations such as 'as many', 'so many', 'this many') Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the number of people or things.
"We don't need this many bananas. Put some back."
Pronoun
- 1 A large, indefinite number of people or things.
"Many are called, but few are chosen."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A town, the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"How many close friends do you have?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "many"?
Common synonyms include: dozen, a few, a great many, a great number, a hundred, a large number.
How do you use "many" in a sentence?
How many close friends do you have?
How do you pronounce "many"?
Pronounced /ˈmɛni/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English many, mani, moni, from Old English maniġ, moniġ, maneġ (“many”), from Proto-West Germanic *manag, from Proto-Germanic *managaz (“many; much”), from Proto-Indo-European *menegʰ-, *mengʰ- (“many, sufficient”) or Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂- (“big, great”). Cognates Cognate with Scots mony (“many”), Yola many (“many”), North Frisian manag, manig, mäning (“many”), Alemannic German meng (“many”), Central Franconian mannich, männich (“many”), Dutch menig (“many”), German manch (“many, some”), Low German männich, männig (“many”), Luxembourgish muench, munch, munnech (“many”), Danish mangen (“many”), Faroese mangur (“many”), Icelandic margur (“many”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk mang, mange (“many”), Swedish mången (“many”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐍃 (manags, “many; much”), French maint (“many”); also Cornish menowgh (“frequent, often”), Irish minic (“frequently, often”), Manx mennick (“frequent, often”), Scottish Gaelic minig (“frequent”), Welsh mynych (“frequent, often”), Belarusian мно́га (mnóha, “many; much”), Bulgarian and Russian мно́го (mnógo, “many; much”), Czech mnohý (“many, numerous”), Macedonian мно́гу (mnógu, “very; many; much”), Polish mnogi (“numerous; plural”), Serbo-Croatian мно̏гӣ, mnȍgī (“many; much, long; large, numerous”), Ukrainian мно́гий (mnóhyj, “many, multiple”). 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.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from French Many or a variant of Maney. The town in Louisiana is named after a Colonel Many.