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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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 tract has a median family income almost twice as high as the Tampa metro area, placing it among the top 0.5% of opportunity zones nationwide in terms of income. — Justin Elliott, ProPublica, "A Trump Tax Break To Help The Poor Went To a Rich GOP Donor’s Superyacht Marina," 18 Nov. 2019 Rispone was not among the top-tier candidates GOP leaders hoped would challenge Edwards. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards leads GOP challenger Eddie Rispone with most runoff votes counted," 17 Nov. 2019 Open combat among the various gangs - and between them and security forces - have become less frequent in recent years as the criminal groups gain firmer control over their fiefdoms. — ExpressNews.com, "Migrants hunkered down in crowded, filthy border encampment," 17 Nov. 2019 The six scores are tied for the second most in Sun Belt history and the third most among FBS quarterbacks this season. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, "Troy’s Kaleb Barker ties school record with 6 TD passes in win over Texas State," 17 Nov. 2019 Sweeping job losses at banks in the years after the 2008 financial crash piled pressure on remaining employees, leading to stress and mental health problems among U.K. bank employees. — Adrian Croft, Fortune, "Europe’s Stock Traders Have a Solution for Its Inconsistent Stock Markets: Shorter Work Days," 17 Nov. 2019 The turmoil has resulted in lost investment, grinding uncertainty, and apparently, deteriorating mental health (pdf) among Britain’s vaunted civil service. — Jenny Anderson, Quartz, "Brexit is seriously stressing out the civil service," 17 Nov. 2019 Halsey, Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello and more were among the artists that quickly showed support for Swift in the wake of the conflict. — Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, "Elizabeth Warren Weighs In on Taylor Swift's Dispute With Big Machine: 'It's Time to Rein In Private Equity Firms'," 16 Nov. 2019 Michigan Assembly Located on Michigan Avenue in Wayne, just a few miles west of Ford company HQ, this plant is the investment leader among Ford’s U.S. plants. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Here's what the Ford-UAW contract reveals about products on the way," 16 Nov. 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.