myriad

noun myr·i·ad \ ˈmir-ē-əd \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of myriad

1 : ten thousand

2 : a great number

a myriad of ideas

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Is myriad a noun?

Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it.

Examples of myriad in a Sentence

Mr. McCullough hails Adams for being uncannily prescient … foreseeing a myriad of developments, from the difficulty of defeating the British … to the divisive consequences of slavery. —Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 22 May 2001
Sectarian Protestantism reinforced both American individualism and the tendency of the society to be self-organizing in a myriad of voluntary associations and communities. —Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999
Out in the barrios, under the nipa palms, he listened to the myriads of humming cicadas and the call of the geckos. —Nina FitzPatrick, Fables of the Irish Intelligentsia, 1991
To read Marie Corelli, you had to be able to follow several hundred printed words at a time, and there were myriads in England who were up to it. —Hugh Kenner, A Sinking Island, 1987
… laced his fingers behind his head and stared at the myriads of tiny colored dots that make up darkness. —John Steinbeck, East of Eden, 1952
There are a myriad of possibilities.
the car can be outfitted with a myriad of options

Recent Examples of myriad from the Web

These women have worked to found or support a myriad of charitable organizations, started multiple businesses and given so much of themselves to improve the common good.

— carol cormaci, latimes.com, "In the Spotlight: Donna Ford honored by Schiff as one of his district’s 2018 Women of the Year," 10 Apr. 2018
Bazley will face myriad on-court challenges and a major adjustment, but there will be developmental value in taking the leap, from learning pro-style schemes to facing zero college-style restrictions on practice time.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "Breaking Down Darius Bazley’s Decision: Syracuse’s Loss Is G League’s Gain," 29 Mar. 2018
Instead, its totally free from fragrance and a myriad of other potential skin irritants, including parabens, sulfates, SLS, and formaldehyde.

— sophie wirt, Allure, "Milk Makeup Launches Its Watermelon Brightening Serum, the First-Ever Solid Serum (Exclusive)," 28 Mar. 2018
And the myriad shifting lineups the Bulls feature these days, with the goal of evaluating untested players, could scramble anybody’s flow.

— k.c. johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Bulls' core trio — Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen — is failing chemistry test," 17 Mar. 2018
Cincinnati City Council has been frustrated because there doesn't appear to be leadership managing the myriad of problems.

— sharon coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "5 reasons why the Cincinnati streetcar's numbers are crashing, with no fixes in sight," 5 Mar. 2018
Flawless offensive execution couldn’t overcome the myriad of defensive breakdowns.

— vince ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Emotion wears off, reality hits for Detroit Pistons in three-game skid," 13 Feb. 2018
Far from an exclusively modern or American phenomenon, the practice of making class statements with one’s clothes extends deep into the past, and is a constant across a myriad of disparate global cultures.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "How the Technicolor Ikat Designs of Central Asia Thread Into Textile History," 26 Mar. 2018
Aside from warmth, South Florida offers a myriad of things to do for those 55 and older.

— caitlin granfield, miamiherald, "Free movies, field trips, parties — there’s plenty for seniors to do around South Florida | Miami Herald," 25 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of myriad

Greek myriad-, myrias, from myrioi countless, ten thousand

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1555

See Words from the same year

myriad Synonyms

Phrases

all kinds (of), quite a bit;

Other Number-Related Terms

jubilee, quarantine, score, twain

myriad

adjective myr·i·ad \ ˈmir-ē-əd \

Definition of myriad

1 : innumerable

those myriad problems

; also : both numerous and diverse

myriad topics

2 : having innumerable aspects or elements

the myriad activity of the new land
—Meridel Le Sueur

See myriad defined for English-language learners

Examples of myriad in a Sentence

… the more quotations that could be found, the more easily the subtle differences between the (possibly) myriad usages and meanings of any single word could be identified. This is how historical dictionaries are made … —Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything, 2003
The age of white guilt, with its myriad corruptions and its almost racist blindness to minority individuality, may someday go down like the age of racism went down … —Shelby Steele, Harper's, November 2002
World War II accelerated the progress of science and technology into the microcosm. Scientists and technologists played tag with one another in their search for microscopic control. With mathematics and myriad theories, they defined a new microcosm. —Joseph A. Amato, Dust, 2000
The old system's problems were myriad.
the myriad problems that today's cities face