among

preposition

\ ə-ˈməŋ

variants: or less commonly amongst \ -ˈməŋ(k)st

Definition of among

1 : in or through the midst of : surrounded by hidden among the trees

2 : in company or association with living among artists

3 : by or through the aggregate of discontent among the poor

4 : in the number or class of wittiest among poets among other things she was president of her college class

5 : in shares to each of divided among the heirs

6a : through the reciprocal acts of quarreling among themselves

b : through the joint action of made a fortune among themselves

Synonyms Between vs. Among: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about among

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for among

Synonyms

amid (or amidst), mid, midst, through

Between vs. Among: Usage Guide

There is a persistent but unfounded notion that between can be used only of two items and that among must be used for more than two. Between has been used of more than two since Old English; it is especially appropriate to denote a one-to-one relationship, regardless of the number of items. It can be used when the number is unspecified economic cooperation between nations , when more than two are enumerated between you and me and the lamppost partitioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia — Nathaniel Benchley , and even when only one item is mentioned (but repetition is implied). pausing between every sentence to rap the floor — George Eliot Among is more appropriate where the emphasis is on distribution rather than individual relationships. discontent among the peasants When among is automatically chosen for more than two, English idiom may be strained. a worthy book that nevertheless falls among many stools — John Simon the author alternates among mod slang, clichés and quotes from literary giants — A. H. Johnston

Examples of among in a Sentence

The disease spread quickly among the members of the community. The house is nestled among the trees. The ball was hidden among the leaves. There were ducks among the geese. There were several hecklers scattered among the crowd. He lived among artists and writers. The people of the town were frightened to think that a killer might be living among them.

Recent Examples on the Web

The goal was to ensure that the sprawling individual spaces (among them the market, an all-day Spanish Diner, the fire-cooking restaurant Leña and the seafood spot Mar) were outfitted in decor coming almost exclusively from Spain. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "A Mecca of Spanish Design and Food Opens in New York," 3 Apr. 2019 The international fashion set was out in full force in this most luxury-hungry city: Giambattista Valli, Zac Posen, Peter Dundas, Edgardo Osorio, and Sergeenko collaborator Stephen Jones among them. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Giambattista Valli, Zac Posen, Imaan Hammam, and More Attended Natalia Vodianova’s Lavish Love Ball Arabia," 3 Apr. 2019 Bold signature attire aside, the coach still managed to snag a slew of promising vocalists, among them four-chair turner Celia Babini and Battle Rounds-winner Domenic Haynes. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "'The Voice' Coach Adam Levine Divided Fans With His Bold Battle Rounds Outfit," 31 Mar. 2019 For the non-scientists among us, by blocking FAAH, CBD can help increase your level of anandamide. — Laurel Leicht, Marie Claire, "An Expert Answers All Your Questions About CBD," 26 Mar. 2019 The trial scene implodes, first as the clans squabble among themselves, and then as an unexplained fire breaks out and engulfs the room. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "15 years later, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is finally happening," 21 Mar. 2019 Animals have certain advantages that humans lack—the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field is among them. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Some Humans Can Detect the Earth's Magnetic Field," 19 Mar. 2019 Flat-pack furniture is designed to make things easier on the not-so-handy among us, but Flint Furniture is taking things to the next level. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "This Furniture Takes 30 Seconds to Assemble, and You Don't Need Any Tools to Build It," 12 Mar. 2019 But with its tremendous growth has come intense debate, particularly among members of the trans community whose beliefs about passing are varied and fraught. — Serena Daniari, Allure, "The Complicated Process of Undergoing Facial-Feminization Surgery, and Why I Did It," 23 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'among.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.