copious

adjective

co·​pi·​ous ˈkō-pē-əs How to pronounce copious (audio)
1
a
: yielding something abundantly
a copious harvest
copious springs
b
: plentiful in number
copious references to other writers
2
a
: full of thought, information, or matter
… Shakespeare, whose soul was so copiousGilbert Highet
b
: profuse or exuberant in words, expression, or style
a copious talker
3
: present in large quantity : taking place on a large scale
copious weeping
copious food and drink
copiously adverb
copiousness noun

Did you know?

What's the difference between copious, ample, and plentiful?

Copious dates to the 14th century, during the era of English known as Middle English. Like most terms entering the language then, it comes ultimately from Latin, from the word copia, meaning "abundance." (Cornucopia combines this same root with cornu, meaning "horn," to form the phrase "horn of plenty.") Latin copia combines the prefix co- and -op, * ops, meaning "wealth" or "power." (That asterisk means that ops is assumed to have existed or has been reconstructed by means of comparative evidence.) The latter also features in the history of opulent, meaning "wealthy" or "luxurious."

Choose the Right Synonym for copious

plentiful, ample, abundant, copious mean more than sufficient without being excessive.

plentiful implies a great or rich supply.

peaches are plentiful this summer

ample implies a generous sufficiency to satisfy a particular requirement.

ample food to last the winter

abundant suggests an even greater or richer supply than does plentiful.

streams abundant with fish

copious stresses largeness of supply rather than fullness or richness.

copious examples of bureaucratic waste

Examples of copious in a Sentence

It was no surprise that spin was more copious than ever during the election campaign. Michael Kinsley, Time, 25 Dec. 2000–1 Jan. 2001
These pockets of melted rock are rich in silica and release copious amounts of volatile gases that are held under high pressures. Sandra Blakeslee, New York Times, 7 Apr. 1998
… travelers grew accustomed to having copious helpings of meat when they visited Quimper's inn. James A. Michener, Texas, 1985
The Constants—ignorant, vulgar, and brash—had copious quantities of dumb luck. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Sirens Of Titan, 1959
The storm produced a copious amount of rain. She sat in the front row and took copious notes during the lecture.
Recent Examples on the Web The defense also has sought to show that the Eagles provided Sanders with copious insider material. CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 The pop star, 31, unveiled Friday her latest single with its accompanying video, set at an oceanside resort populated by copious kissing couples who lock lips for the camera throughout most of the clip. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024 There's been copious references to cult movies and talking cartoon dogs. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2024 The solution for turning around the result for the typically detail-delving Cronin was simple: finish your copious number of scoring opportunities. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 30 Jan. 2024 Nolan read the 720-page book once through, secured the screen rights to it, read it through again and then once more, this time taking copious notes. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 29 Jan. 2024 The long tail of Holocaust denial is a lesson in what may happen to Oct. 7, said Emerson Brooking, resident fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think tank — despite copious real-time documentation of the attacks. Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2024 Martian Iron Should Be Readily Available Mars’ natural red landscape is due to copious amounts of iron oxide, basically, what we earthlings call rust. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 While the couplings are as diverse and inclusive as open-minded audiences could possibly hope for, one unifying factor is the copious amount of lube. Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'copious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin copiosus, from copia abundance, from co- + ops wealth — more at opulent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of copious was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near copious

Cite this Entry

“Copious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copious. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

copious

adjective
co·​pi·​ous ˈkō-pē-əs How to pronounce copious (audio)
: very plentiful
a copious amount of food
copiously adverb
copiousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on copious

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