plenty

[ plen-tee ]

noun

, plural plen·ties.

1. a full or abundant supply or amount:

   There is plenty of time.

2. the state or quality of being plentiful; abundance:

   resources in plenty.

   Synonyms: copiousness, plenteousness, affluence, luxuriance

3. an abundance, as of goods or luxuries, or a time of such abundance:

   the plenty of a rich harvest; the plenty that comes with peace.

adjective

1. existing in ample quantity or number; plentiful; abundant:

   Food is never too plenty in the area.

2. more than sufficient; ample:

   That helping is plenty for me.

adverb

1. Informal. fully; quite:

   plenty good enough.

plenty

¹

/ ˈplɛntɪ /

noun

1. often foll by of a great number, amount, or quantity; lots

   there are plenty of cars on display here

   plenty of time

2. generous or ample supplies of wealth, produce, or resources

   the age of plenty

3. in plenty
   existing in abundance

   food in plenty

determiner

1. 1. very many; ample

      plenty of people believe in ghosts

   2. ( as pronoun )

      that's plenty, thanks

      there's plenty more

adverb

1. not_standard.
   (intensifier)

   he was plenty mad

2. informal.
   more than adequately; abundantly

   the water's plenty hot enough

Plenty

²

/ ˈplɛntɪ /

noun

1. Bay of Plenty
   a large bay of the Pacific on the NE coast of the North Island, New Zealand

Usage Note

The construction plenty of is standard in all varieties of speech and writing: plenty of room in the shed. The use of plenty preceding a noun, without an intervening of, first appeared in the late 19th century: plenty room in the shed. It occurs today chiefly in informal speech. As an adverb, a use first recorded in the mid-19th century, plenty is also informal and is found chiefly in speech or written representations of speech.

Other Words From

• over·plenty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of plenty¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English plente, from Old French; replacing Middle English plenteth, from Old French plented, plentet, from Latin plēnitāt- (stem of plēnitās ) “fullness.” See plenum, -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of plenty¹

C13: from Old French plenté, from Late Latin plēnitās fullness, from Latin plēnus full

Idioms and Phrases

see under not the only fish in the sea .

Synonym Study

Plenty, abundance, profusion refer to a large quantity or supply. Plenty suggests a supply that is fully adequate to any demands: plenty of money. Abundance implies a great plenty, an ample and generous oversupply: an abundance of rain. Profusion applies to such a lavish and excessive abundance as often suggests extravagance or prodigality: luxuries in great profusion.

Example Sentences

"He knows what's going on, he has been around for long enough, he has coached plenty of top-level teams and knows how to make us tick."

From BBC

I had plenty of teachers like Mrs. Howard during my formative years growing up in East Baltimore.

From Salon

Out-of-season training in a marquee is nothing unusual – plenty of counties do the same.

From BBC

But there are plenty of stories involving stars that are just as compelling even if they haven’t gotten the same attention.

From New York Times

But the coach is hopeful the outbreak hit its peak Tuesday, giving the team plenty of time to recover ahead of Saturday’s rivalry matchup.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• enough
• good deal
• luxury
• plethora
• quantity
• torrent
• wealth