ample
Americanadjective
-
fully sufficient or more than adequate for the purpose or needs; plentiful; enough: ample time to finish.
an ample supply of water;
ample time to finish.
-
of sufficient or abundant measure; liberal; copious.
an ample reward.
-
of adequate or more than adequate extent, size, or amount; large; spacious; roomy.
ample storage space.
adjective
-
more than sufficient; abundant
an ample helping
-
large in size, extent, or amount
of ample proportions
Usage
What does ample mean? Ample means enough—sufficient or adequate. It can also mean more than enough—plentiful or abundant.It is often used in the context of things like time, room, space, supplies, or resources (such as food and money) to indicate that there is enough or more than enough of what is needed.Sometimes, ample means large in size, extent, or amount, as in It was an ample tract of land. Ample can be used in front of a noun, as in We have ample funds to cover the purchase, or elsewhere in the sentence, as in The payment was ample. The adverb form of ample is amply, meaning sufficiently or abundantly, as in He gave amply to charity. Example: There was no one else there, so there was ample space to spread out.
Related Words
See plentiful. Ample, liberal, copious, profuse describe degrees of abundant provision. Ample implies a plentiful provision: to give ample praise. Liberal implies provision from a generous supply (more than ample but less than copious ): Liberal amounts of food were distributed to people who needed it. Copious implies an apparently inexhaustible and lavish abundance: a copious flow of tears. Profuse implies a still more unrestrained abundance of provision or flow: profuse in his apologies.
Other Word Forms
- ampleness noun
Etymology
Origin of ample
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin amplus “wide, large”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The drop was driven mainly by falling cheese and butter prices, due to ample supplies and strong global competition, while milk powder prices edged higher, supported by renewed import demand for skimmed milk powder.
Some communities fear they will lose out as power and water are earmarked for data centers, which need ample supplies of both.
During the first weeks of the Nazi occupation, we scarcely left our apartment, living off the supplies of Mother’s ample pantry.
From Literature
Besides, there’s ample evidence that unvarnished, off-the-cuff statements can hurt musicians more than they help.
From Salon
“The formal dining area is perfect for entertaining beneath an elegant chandelier, while the kitchen features chic quartz countertops and ample storage,” the listing reads.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
