ample

American  

[am-puhl] / ˈæm pəl /

adjective

ampler, amplest

1. 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.

2. of sufficient or abundant measure; liberal; copious.

   an ample reward.

   Synonyms:

   plenteous, lavish, free, generous

   Antonyms:

   meager, scanty, scanty

3. of adequate or more than adequate extent, size, or amount; large; spacious; roomy.

   ample storage space.

   Synonyms:

   vast, great, capacious, extensive

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ample British  

/ ˈæmpəl /

adjective

1. more than sufficient; abundant

   an ample helping

2. large in size, extent, or amount

   of ample proportions

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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”

Explanation

Ample describes an abundance of something. An ample supply of apple muffins at the bake sale is a good thing, as is ample legroom in your new van — but if the vet notices your dog's ample waistline, you might have to put Fido on a diet. Like amplify (crank up the volume), ample is from the Latin word amplus, meaning "large or spacious." Ample can be enough or even too much of something. It's great when there's ample parking or ample snacks for a hike, and we'd all be happy if we had ample time and money. But there are things that some people don't want more of — if your principal has ample evidence that you started the food fight in the cafeteria, you're probably going to end up in detention.

Example Sentences

Private-equity funds, for example, have ample opportunities to book large gains with subjective valuations and hold them in place for years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

“Railroaded” is a memoir of Mr. Naiden’s time on the tracks, an uncommon volume within the ample subway literature that focuses on “the subway as a workplace.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The plan’s success could solidify the image of U.S. as a leader in space, and give it ample mining access to a plethora of minerals and elements on the moon.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

He became adept at stalling tactics that gave pitchers ample rest if they’d just returned to the dugout after running the bases.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

And there is certainly ample room in the eastern woods for large cats to roam undisturbed.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• abundant
• bountiful
• broad
• copious
• expansive
• extensive
• generous
• great
• plentiful
• spacious
• substantial
• voluminous
• wide