myriad

1 of 2

noun

myr·i·ad ˈmir-ē-əd

Synonyms of myriad next

: ten thousand

: a great number

a myriad of ideas

Is myriad a noun?: Usage Guide

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.

myriad

2 of 2

adjective

: innumerable

those myriad problems

also : both numerous and diverse

myriad topics

: having innumerable aspects or elements

the myriad activity of the new land—

Meridel Le Sueur

Did you know?

In English, the "ten thousand" sense of myriad mostly appears in references to Ancient Greece, such as the following from English historian Connop Thirwall's History of Greece: "4000 men from Peloponnesus had fought at Thermopylae with 300 myriads." More often, English speakers use myriad in the broad sense—both as a singular noun ("a myriad of tiny particles") and a plural noun ("myriads of tiny particles"). Myriad can also serve as an adjective meaning "innumerable" ("myriad particles"). While some usage commentators criticize the noun use, it's been firmly established in English since the 16th century, and in fact is about 200 years older than the adjective. Myriad comes from Greek myrias, which in turn comes from myrioi, meaning "countless" or "ten thousand."

Example Sentences

Noun 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 Adjective … 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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Movements to advocate for nature’s right to exist, thrive, and regenerate could have a myriad of positive impacts to slow biodiversity loss across the world. —

Midori Paxton, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2023 Digital transformation will lead to a myriad of devices that interact with your data and potentially your systems. —

John Bruggeman, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023 The company is an effective option for teens experiencing a myriad of problems, such as low self-esteem, stress, the effects of bullying, anxiety, anger, and more. —

Brittany Vargas, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2023 These ECUs, as they’re abbreviated, are found in virtually all modern vehicles and are used to control a myriad of functions, including wipers, brakes, individual lights, and engine. —

Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 Apr. 2023 Packing up my workstation and moving it on a daily requires having a proper bag to carry my power cords, dongles, hard drives, and a myriad of other personal items. —

John Thompson, menshealth.com, 5 Apr. 2023 For The Times) Bestie Brunch has attracted a myriad of women across age ranges, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and industries, including publicists, doctors, artists, service industry folks, caretakers, lawyers, students and people figuring it out — and that’s intentional. —

Martine Thompson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2023 There are a myriad of options ranging from full bodysuits and smoothing tanks to G-string underwear and ultra-thin shorts ideal for warmer climates and traveling with limited suitcase space. —

Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2023 Flag football has replaced the game itself, in addition to a myriad of other fun skill competitions. —

Bob Mcmanaman, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2023

Adjective

Iwrote last month about the myriad private-debt problems facing Americans, both as a matter of financial reality and on cultural grounds. —

Scott Howard, National Review, 6 June 2023 With candor and her distinctive sensibility, Lemann also lays out her myriad influences, from Walker Percy to Evelyn Waugh. —

Nancy Lemann, Harper’s Magazine , 6 June 2023 Today the stumpery, safely encompassing a shaft of shifting sunlight all day, is stuffed with myriad ferns and hellebores as well as hosts. —

Town & Country, 28 Apr. 2023 The Lincoln Society The National Academies receives 70 percent of its budget from federal funding, with the remainder from its endowment and private donors, including corporations that sell fossil fuels, chemicals and myriad prescription drugs. —

Christina Jewett, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2023 Enhancing Productivity Unsurprisingly, tools like ChatGPT often hit capacity during the workday with myriad users trying to use these tools to streamline their research processes. —

Dr. Tj Jiang, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023 Return to menu The 22-acre gardens in Harford County are home to many wonders, including over 100 oversized topiaries, a Butterfly House and a mile-long nature walk populated by myriad birds. —

Nevin Martell, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2023 Still, there remain plenty of shows on HBO Max that would seem right at home on myriad other streamers. —

Mary Mcnamara, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2023 Inside, French art is the focus, with myriad paintings, sculptures, and photography on display — including famous work by Claude Monet and Vincent van Gough. —

Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'myriad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.