most

1 of 6

adjective

1
: greatest in quantity, extent, or degree
the most ability
2
: the majority of
most people

most

2 of 6

adverb (1)

1
: to the greatest or highest degree
often used with an adjective or adverb to form the superlative
the most challenging job he ever had
2
: to a very great degree
was most persuasive

most

3 of 6

noun

: the greatest amount
it's the most I can do

most

4 of 6

pronoun

singular or plural in construction
: the greatest number or part
most become discouraged and quit

most

5 of 6

adverb (2)

: almost
we'll be crossing the river most any time nowHamilton Basso
Can most be used in place of almost?: Usage Guide

Although considered by some to be unacceptable in all cases, most is often used to mean "almost" in both spoken and, to a lesser extent, written English to modify the adjectives all, every, and any; the pronouns all, everyone, everything, everybody, anyone, anything, and anybody; and the adverbs everywhere, anywhere, and always. Other uses of this sense of most are dialectal.

-most

6 of 6

adjective suffix

: most
innermost
: most toward
headmost
Phrases
at most or at the most
: as an extreme limit
took him an hour at most

Examples of most in a Sentence

Adjective Choosing a color took the most time. That family owned the most land. Unfortunately the negative aspects of our schools get the most attention. Noun this room will accommodate 50 people at the most
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Advice columnist Carolyn Hax takes your comments and questions most Fridays about life, family, relationships and more. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 But most other details of the Medialink investment — notably its value or — were not immediately disclosed. Patrick Frater, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 At Secret Bakery, and most bakeries, ingredients are measured by weight. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 Making whiskey is a science, and like most things that require careful formulations and measurements very little is left up to chance throughout the process. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2024 Last year, hundreds of thousands were able to enter, most of them women, children and elderly men. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Unlike the tombs of most other ancient pharaohs, which had been raided by graverobbers, King Tut’s tomb was found intact and filled with more than 5,000 artifacts which were cleared and categorized over the next decade. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 The two broad categories of food that were most inflation-resistant in the past four years (that were lower than the rates of both supermarket inflation and overall inflation) were fruits and vegetables, which rose 17.9%, and dairy and related products, which rose 19.1%. Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 10 Mar. 2024 Your characters are literary icons that most of America knows very well, but this is the first time audiences will hear Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan sing. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Selecting a film about blondes having more fun—and featuring one of Hollywood history’s most beloved musical numbers—was a brilliant choice. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 The royal family has a long history of history of alleged retouching, including rumors that William and Kate's most recent Christmas photo had been digitally altered. Brian Barrett, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 Google Earth; Getty Images Less than one year after Rihanna splashed out $21 million to buy one of the greater L.A. area’s most expensive condos, the Barbadian music superstar has put the sky-high penthouse back up for sale, asking just a hair under $25 million. Jmcclain, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 Wait an hour for a $6 matcha in your most expensive hoodie. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Mount Washington known for challenging conditions Tuckerman Ravine is most popular during the spring when the sun begins to soften the snow. USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Traditionally, Super Tuesday is the day that is seen to most accurately forecast how the presidential primaries will play out. USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 The ranking, arranged by Jeff Benjamin (also a Forbes contributor), takes into account the artist’s performance on two of the company’s most important charts in the U.S., the Hot 100 (for songs) and the Billboard 200 (for albums). Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Based on the trailer, the project helmed by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney appears to be a candid look at Simon’s career, spanning over six decades and his journey to create his most recent album, Seven Psalms. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'most.' 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

Adjective, Adverb (1), Noun, and Pronoun

Middle English, from Old English mǣst; akin to Old High German meist most, Old English māra more — more at more

Adverb (2)

by shortening

Adjective suffix

Middle English, alteration of -mest (as in formest foremost)

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Pronoun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb (2)

circa 1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of most was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near most

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

most

1 of 5 adjective
1
: the majority of
most people believe this
2
: greatest in amount or extent
the most ability

most

2 of 5 adverb
1
: to the greatest or highest level or extent
often used with an adjective or adverb to form the superlative
most active
most actively
2
: to a very great extent
a most careful driver

most

3 of 5 noun
: the greatest amount, number, or part

most

4 of 5 adverb
: almost
the cost of most everything is higher

-most

5 of 5 adjective suffix
ˌmōst
: most
innermost
Etymology

Adjective suffix

Middle English -most "most"

More from Merriam-Webster on most

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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