variants or less commonly amongst
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
6
a
: through the reciprocal acts of
quarreling among themselves
b
: through the joint action of
made a fortune among themselves
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Florida, Arizona, and Indiana are among the states with the biggest growth. Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025 At least four people -- among them a 12-year-old girl -- were killed in the capital, according to a post by head of the Kyiv City Military Administration Timur Tkachenko to Telegram. David Brennan, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025 Today, the experience is all that and much more, and Sandals’ adults-only properties consistently rank among the best all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, thanks to the blend of tropical pleasures and authenticity based in Jamaican roots. AFAR Media, 27 Sep. 2025 The animosity between the two boiled over when suspicions grew among the Joneses that Brandon was Marty Baker’s secret informant, after a Skeet associate spotted Brandon and Baker having lunch together in Mentone. Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for among

Word History

Etymology

among from Middle English, from Old English on gemonge, from on + gemonge, dative of gemong crowd, from ge- (associative prefix) + -mong (akin to Old English mengan to mix); amongst from Middle English amonges, from among + -es -s — more at com-, mingle

First Known Use

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

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

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Cite this Entry

“Among.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/among. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

among

preposition
variants also amongst
1
: in or through the midst of
among the crowd
2
: in company with
you're among friends
3
: through all or most of
discontent among the poor
4
: in the class of
among my good qualities is patience
5
: in shares to each of
divided among the heirs

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