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 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

New rides Perhaps the most popular of the State Fair's attractions - at least among kids and kids-at-heart - is the fair's carnival area, which offers everything from spooky houses to the giant Ferris wheel. — Daniel Wilson, sacbee, "What’s new at the California State Fair? Here’s everything you need to know," 13 July 2018 Even among charter flight options, Price's office did not always book the lowest-cost trip. — CBS News, "Government watchdog slams former HHS head for travel," 13 July 2018 When excerpts from the discussion leaked to the New York Times earlier this week, a sense of trepidation, particularly among the critics community, seemed to follow. — Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, "Emmys: HBO's Most Nominated Streak Ends Amid AT&T's Volume Push," 12 July 2018 Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students a statistic that local universities have experienced firsthand in recent years. — Aneri Pattani, chicagotribune.com, "College students train to help peers at risk for suicide, depression and more," 12 July 2018 There’s no weapon quite like them even among veterans and All-Stars who left the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League behind years ago. — San Antonio Express-News, "The Bamba Project is still in early stages," 11 July 2018 Even among the relatively mobile crowd of 25- to 55-year-olds, average residency is pretty stable, holding at about eight years since 1960. — Lyman Stone, Vox, "The myth of the job-hopping, rootless millennial is just that — a myth," 11 July 2018 Previous studies have implicated high blood pressure as a possible risk factor for dementia, including Alzheimer’s dementia, but there are few studies exploring how blood pressure, particularly among older people, affects tissues in the brain. — Alice Park, Time, "This Surprising Factor May Raise Your Risk of Alzheimer’s," 11 July 2018 Demand for mental-health services on college campuses has surged in recent years and, as local campuses understand all too well, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. — Aubrey Nagle, Philly.com, "Local Dems oppose SCOTUS pick, school board hosts first public meeting | Morning Newsletter," 10 July 2018

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.