numerous

adjective

nu·​mer·​ous ˈnü-mə-rəs 

ˈnüm-rə-;

ˈnyü-mə-,

ˈnyüm-rə-

: consisting of great numbers of units or individuals

born into a numerous family

also : many

received numerous complaints

The people I'd like to thank are too numerous to mention.

numerously adverb

numerousness noun

Synonyms

• beaucoup [slang]
• legion
• many
• multifold
• multiple
• multiplex
• multitudinous

Examples of numerous in a Sentence

She decided to leave for numerous reasons.

The birds are becoming more numerous in this area.

Recent Examples on the Web

The San Andreas fault, with its odd bend north of the Los Angeles area and the movement of the Pacific plate relative to the North American plate, forced the creation of numerous east-west mountain ridges, including the Santa Monica Mountains. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2024

The tally: 2,200 miles, five national parks, numerous hot springs and one excellent reindeer hot dog. —Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2024

The volume of gas and dust could allow the protoplanetary disk to create numerous giant planets over a wide span of space. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2024

As the oldest professional school in the world, the DA has prepared students throughout the centuries to under- stand and manage crises, as attested by its numerous distinguished alumni throughout history and all over the globe. —Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin numerōsus, from numerus number entry 2 + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing numerous

• too numerous to list
• too numerous to mention

Kids Definition

numerous

adjective

nu·​mer·​ous ˈn(y)üm-(ə-)rəs 

: consisting of great numbers

numerous friends

numerously adverb