en masse

adverb

äⁿ(n)-ˈmas  -ˈmäs  än- 

en-

: in a body : as a whole

moved the inmates en masse to the new prison

Examples of en masse in a Sentence

Her supporters arrived en masse for the rally.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the sequel, Andy Sachs (Hathaway) returns to work for Miranda Priestley’s (Streep) Runway Magazine after she and her fellow employees are laid off en masse from their newspaper. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Garcia, a member of United Autoworkers Local 2335, was taking a break from hauling debris at a decimated home on Taft Place in Merrillville when the men walked up en masse to join the effort. — Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026

Corporations lay off workers en masse in hopes of replicating their labor with LLMs. — Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026

Teen takeovers are a social media phenomenon, created when young people designate a gathering place and start showing up en masse. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for en masse

• alas
• amass
• bromegrass
• bypass
• crabgrass
• crevasse
• eelgrass
• eyeglass
• groundmass
• harass
• impasse
• jackass

Kids Definition

en masse

adverb

än-ˈmas 

: in a body : as a whole