amount

verb

\ə-ˈmau̇nt

amounted; amounting; amounts

Definition of amount

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : to be the same in meaning or effect as acts that amount to treason

b : to reach in kind or quality : to turn out to be wanted her son to amount to something [=to be successful] The changes don't really amount to much. [=are not really substantial or significant]

2 : to reach a total : add up The bill amounts to $10.

amount

noun

Definition of amount (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the total number or quantity : aggregate trying to figure the amount of time it will take

b : the quantity at hand or under consideration has an enormous amount of energy

2 : the whole effect, significance, or import

3 accounting : a principal sum and the interest on it

Synonyms Amount vs. Number More Example Sentences Learn More about amount

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Synonyms for amount

Synonyms: Noun

measure, quantity, quantum, volume

Amount vs. Number: Usage Guide

Noun

Number is regularly used with count nouns a large number of mistakes any number of times while amount is mainly used with mass nouns. annual amount of rainfall a substantial amount of money The use of amount with count nouns has been frequently criticized; it usually occurs when the number of things is thought of as a mass or collection glad to furnish any amount of black pebbles — New Yorker a substantial amount of film offers — Lily Tomlin or when money is involved. a substantial amount of loans — E. R. Black

Examples of amount in a Sentence

Noun

The drug is not being produced in adequate amounts. What is the amount to be paid? An amount was finally agreed upon. The new law limits the amount a candidate can spend. When he died we found he owed money to the amount of $250,000!

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But prosecutors allege what Pam did amounted to a scheme of theft, forgery, and embezzlement that left the 70-year-old Williams homeless. — Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, "Pam family members go on trial for allegedly scamming elderly siblings out of Mattapan home," 13 July 2018 Spotrac shows the contract amounts for rookies and their draft slot. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Could Gareon Conley Legally Prove That Rape Allegation Caused Draft Slide, Financial Harm?," 12 July 2018 The risky strategy allows earlier plaintiffs to send signals about legal tactics and their award amounts to women who bring cases later. — New York Times, "Johnson & Johnson Told to Pay $4.7 Billion in Baby Powder Lawsuit," 12 July 2018 The case that has since unraveled amounts to one of the biggest investment frauds in Charlotte's history. — Deon Roberts, charlotteobserver, "Rick Siskey Ponzi victims will finally get paid, as part of a $10 million deal," 11 July 2018 But lenders did not take the discounted payment amounts into consideration, which could lead to the bank surmising that a borrower had too much debt to be able to make their monthly payments, leading to a mortgage denial. — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, "Yet Another Way Student Debt Keeps People from Buying Homes," 11 July 2018 The 7th Circuit said the issue can't be framed specifically for each and every injury or illness, and that prison officials have known for years that leaving serious conditions untreated can amount to deliberate indifference. — Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Transgender inmate can sue over denial of hormone treatment, U.S. Appeals Court rules," 11 July 2018 Looked at another way, the 25 percent tariffs amounts to a tax increase of about $8.5 billion per year — not nothing, but small compared to the $150 billion per year worth of tax cuts that Congress passed in 2017. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The impact of Trump’s trade wars, explained," 9 July 2018 Beryl is likely to result in rain accumulations of 2 to 3 inches in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and amounts in some areas could reach 5 inches. — Steve Reilly, USA TODAY, "Caribbean islands brace for weakened but dangerous Tropical Storm Beryl," 8 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Humans first reported observing the clouds in 1885, two years after Indonesia’s Krakatoa volcano spewed large amounts of water vapor in the air, the study said. — Katie Camero, BostonGlobe.com, "Once-rare cloud is now more common, and new study says climate change is to blame," 13 July 2018 Seven years into the war, Mr. Assad has consolidated his control over the country’s center and its main population centers, although large amounts of territory remain out of his control. — New York Times, "Netanyahu Says Putin Agreed to Restrain Iran in Syria," 12 July 2018 This is partly because the intensity of the sunlight is far higher without the Earth’s atmosphere absorbing large amounts on its way through to the surface. — Charles W. Dunnill, Scientific American, "Method of Making Oxygen from Water in Zero Gravity Raises Hope for Long-Distance Space Travel," 10 July 2018 Alcon, which does a large amount of its research and development in Fort Worth, is an example of a company that has promoted those kinds of jobs for decades. — Gordon Dickson, star-telegram, "No need to shed tears yet. Alcon promises to stay in Fort Worth after spinoff," 9 July 2018 On hot days, your body can lose large amounts of water through perspiration. — Pomerado News, "Poway officials warn hikers as temperatures rise," 6 July 2018 Because of extreme heat and wind, with gusts up to 20 miles per hour at the start of the fire, large amounts of smoke and dust blew into nearby pastures and continued to move west, Jessamine said. — Angela Forburger, azcentral, "120 firefighters battle second-alarm hay fire in Buckeye," 6 July 2018 The Federal Reserve continues to hold large amounts of long-term bonds on their balance sheet and demand by foreign investors is strong, which helps explain why long-term rates are not also rising. — Phillip Molnar, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Is a flattening yield curve a sign of a coming recession?," 6 July 2018 Meanwhile the government raised large amounts of foreign-denominated debt to cover the fiscal deficit. — The Economist, "Argentina’s currency crisis is far from over," 5 July 2018

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