among

preposition

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\ ə-ˈməŋ

variants: or less commonly amongst \ ə-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

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Synonyms for among

Synonyms

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 Many are now thought to be in government custody — among the thousands of corpses that pass through morgues each year without ever being identified and end up in common graves. — Maya Averbuch, Los Angeles Times, "Where are Mexico’s disappeared? Many have been in government graves all along," 28 Feb. 2021 This southeast Oregon peak is among the state’s tallest, rising directly from the ocean, which rewards visitors with dramatic Pacific views. — Larry Bleiberg, USA TODAY, "Plan your next hike at one of these mountain trails with sweeping views, physical challenges," 28 Feb. 2021 Shipments of a few million doses to be divided among states could begin as early as Monday. — Compiled Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, "FDA signs off on third shot to fight virus," 28 Feb. 2021 When Frazier announced his retirement, there were only four Black CEOs among all the Fortune 500 companies. — Douglas Haynes, Forbes, "The First Is Always Last: The Scarcity Of Black CEOs In Corporate America," 28 Feb. 2021 Even more remarkable: Wagner has upped his game in Big Ten play, shooting 38.5% on 3s during conference play — 17th-best among Big Ten players — and 63.9% on 2s — third-best. — Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Why Franz Wagner is catching fire at the perfect time for Michigan basketball," 28 Feb. 2021 But among players with 1,000 at-bats since 2018, Strange-Gordon has the fourth-lowest on-base percentage, the worst slugging percentage and the second-worst OPS in MLB. — Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, "Reds notes: Which shortstop is the best hitter?; Jonathan India ready to contribute," 28 Feb. 2021 Oregon is among just four teams (Washington, Michigan, Texas) to ever score at least three earned run off UCLA’s Megan Faraimo. — James Crepea | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "No. 8 Oregon softball faces first major tests of 2021 against No. 1 UCLA, Utah," 28 Feb. 2021 For example, in California, average rates have gone up 25% since 2010, and are among the highest in the nation. — Tim Mcdonnell, Quartz, "Who should pay to fix the electric grid?," 26 Feb. 2021

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.