many

1 of 3

adjective

ˈme-nē How to pronounce many (audio)
more ˈmȯr How to pronounce many (audio) ; most ˈmōst How to pronounce many (audio)
Synonyms of manynext
1
: consisting of or amounting to a large but indefinite number
worked for many years
the many advantages of an education
2
: being one of a large but indefinite number
many a man
many another student
see also:
as many

many

2 of 3

pronoun

plural in construction
: a large number of persons or things
many are called

many

3 of 3

noun

plural in construction
1
: a large but indefinite number
a good many of them
2
: the great majority of people
the many

Synonyms of many

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of many in a Sentence

Adjective a journey of many miles begins with a single step
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Meanwhile, some of the world's largest pet-food makers are investing heavily in nutrition and longevity products aimed at many of the same health problems. — Elsa Ohlen,carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026 Crutchfield said Midland covers a large geographic portion of the county but has no early voting location, requiring many residents to drive to Concord or the Cabarrus Arena to cast ballots before Election Day. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026 After years of leadership churn, the sequence of traditional events involved in the transfer of power has become familiar for many in Britain. — ABC News, 18 July 2026 Italy is the second-largest producer of the Manila clams after China — with many Po Delta lagoons at the heart of the country’s industry. — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for many

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Pronoun, and Noun

Middle English, from Old English manig; akin to Old High German manag many, Old Church Slavic mŭnogŭ much

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of many was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing many

Rhymes for many

See All Rhymes for many

Browse Nearby Words

Manxwoman
many
many's the
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Many.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/many. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

many

1 of 3 adjective
ˈmen-ē How to pronounce many (audio)
more ˈmō(ə)r How to pronounce many (audio)
ˈmȯ(ə)r
 ; most ˈmōst How to pronounce many (audio)
1
: amounting to a large number
worked for many years
2
: being one of a large but indefinite number
told many a tale

many

2 of 3 pronoun
: a large number
many of the students were late

many

3 of 3 noun
: a large but indefinite number
a good many of them

More from Merriam-Webster on many

Nglish: Translation of many for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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