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: Usage Guide 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

That amounts to an economy that’s $1 trillion poorer as result of these extreme weather events crowding out productive investment. — Gary W. Yohe, The Conversation, "Why damage estimates for hurricanes like Dorian won’t capture the full cost of climate change-fueled disasters," 3 Sep. 2019 That amounts to 72 members of the House and 24 members of the Senate voting in favor of a special session. — Aric Chokey, sun-sentinel.com, "Does your state legislator want to have a special session to address guns? They are voting now," 22 Aug. 2019 Hegar said the savings amounted to $8 for every $100 spent. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio residents shop for bargains during sales tax holiday," 10 Aug. 2019 The consultant, peeved that the airline tracked down her real-world identity and then broadcast her location, sent a follow-up saying the number amounted to personally identifiable information that the airline was obligated to keep private. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Airline tracks Twitter user’s real-world ID, publishes her flight number," 9 Aug. 2019 That could amount to thousands of inmates over time. — Josh Kovner, courant.com, "Second lawsuit alleging medical malfeasance in state prisons clears early legal hurdle, carrying potential of hefty public price tag," 8 Aug. 2019 Spotify said its second-quarter operating loss amounted to $3.3 million (3 million euros), compared with 90 million euros. — Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, "Spotify Hits 108 Million Paid Subscribers, Renews Two Major Label Deals," 31 July 2019 Other Trump-minded Christians chimed in to say that protesting over the immigration crisis amounted to an unpatriotic slur on the United States Border Patrol. — The Economist, "When American evangelicals fall out," 5 July 2019 The company said that amounted to a less than 1% change to its recent earnings. — Heather Haddon, WSJ, "Kraft Heinz CEO Looks to Ketchup for Sales Spurt," 26 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In June, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law allowing adults 21 and older years to use and possess small amounts of cannabis for recreational use beginning Jan. 1. — Alexandra Kukulka, chicagotribune.com, "Glenview trustees want to ‘say no right now’ to cannabis-selling businesses in the village, may revisit after seeing impact on other towns," 17 Sep. 2019 Such large operations need to pump significant amounts of water to hydrate their cows and grow food for them. — Andrew Stern, NBC News, "Draining Arizona: Residents say corporate mega-farms are drying up their wells," 17 Sep. 2019 The reliance on spectacle to promote what amount to small-scale updates risks feeling like a company trying too hard to stay top of mind. — Patrick Lucas Austin, Time, "What Apple Risks By Doing Momentous Events Without Momentous News," 16 Sep. 2019 Remember that spousal benefits amount to only half of a higher-earning spouse’s Social Security payments. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Social Security myths you should never believe," 16 Sep. 2019 Not surprisingly, tens of millions of voters have concluded that the proclamations of the national security barons amount to little more than self-serving rhetoric. — Jefferson Morley, The New Republic, "Democrats Are Trapped in Trump’s “Deep State” War," 16 Sep. 2019 One website advertises synthetic marijuana for as little as $25 per pound — the same amount of natural CBD costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars. — Author: Holbrook Mohr, Anchorage Daily News, "State authorities concerned by street drug in some CBD vapes," 17 Sep. 2019 Computer vision systems work by digesting massive amounts of data. — Quanta Magazine, "Computers and Humans ‘See’ Differently. Does It Matter?," 17 Sep. 2019 Boone received it two days later and wrote a check that day for the same amount to Josi’s campaign. — oregonlive, "Case Closed: In Oregon campaign investigations, ‘I did not’ is all it takes," 17 Sep. 2019

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.