may

¹

[ mey ]

auxiliary verb

present singular 1st person: may3rd: maypast: mightpresent plural: may2nd: may or (Archaic) mayest or mayst

1. (used to express possibility):

   It may rain.

2. (used to express opportunity or permission):

   You may enter.

3. (used to express contingency, especially in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.):

   I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may change but human nature stays the same.

4. (used to express wish or prayer):

   May you live to an old age.

5. Archaic. (used to express ability or power.)

may

²

[ mey ]

noun

, Archaic.

1. a maiden.

May

³

[ mey ]

noun

1. the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.
2. the early part of one's life, especially the prime:

   a young woman in her May.

3. the festivities of May Day.
4. (lowercase) British. the hawthorn.
5. a female given name.
6. Cape, a cape at the SE tip of New Jersey, on Delaware Bay.

verb (used without object)

1. (lowercase) to gather flowers in the spring:

   when we were maying.

May

¹

/ meɪ /

noun

1. the fifth month of the year, consisting of 31 days

may

²

/ meɪ /

noun

1. an archaic word for maiden

May

³

/ meɪ /

noun

1. MayRobert McCredie, Baron1936MAustralianSCIENCE: biologistSCIENCE: ecologist Robert McCredie , Baron. born 1936, Australian biologist and ecologist

may

⁴

/ meɪ /

verb

1. to indicate that permission is requested by or granted to someone

   he may go to the park tomorrow if he behaves himself

2. often foll by well to indicate possibility

   he may well be a spy

   the rope may break

3. to indicate ability or capacity, esp in questions

   may I help you?

4. to express a strong wish

   long may she reign

5. to indicate result or purpose: used only in clauses introduced by that or so that

   he writes so that the average reader may understand

6. another word for might 1
7. to express courtesy in a question

   whose child may this little girl be?

8. be that as it may
   in spite of that: a sentence connector conceding the possible truth of a previous statement and introducing an adversative clause

   be that as it may, I still think he should come

9. come what may
   whatever happens
10. that's as may be
    foll by a clause introduced by but that may be so

may

⁵

/ meɪ /

noun

1. Alsomay tree a Brit name for hawthorn
2. short for may blossom

Usage

It was formerly considered correct to use may rather than can when referring to permission as in: you may use the laboratory for your experiments , but this use of may is now almost entirely restricted to polite questions such as: may I open the window? The use of may with if in constructions such as: your analysis may have been more more credible if … is generally regarded as incorrect, might being preferred: your analysis might have been more credible if …

Confusables Note

See can ¹.

Word History and Origins

Origin of may¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English mai, 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of mouen “to be able, be strong,” Old English mæg (infinitive magan ); cognate with German mögen

Origin of may²

First recorded before 900; Middle English mai; Old English mæg

Origin of may³

First recorded before 1050; Middle English, Old English Maius, from Latin, short for Maius mēnsis “Maia's month”; Maia ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of may¹

from Old French, from Latin Maius, probably from Maia, Roman goddess, identified with the Greek goddess Maia

Origin of may²

Old English mæg; related to Old High German māg kinsman, Old Norse māgr a relative by marriage

Origin of may³

Old English mæg, from magan: compare Old High German mag , Old Norse mā

Origin of may⁴

C16: from the month of May , when it flowers

Idioms and Phrases

see be that as it may ; come what may ; let the chips fall where they may ; to whom it may concern .

Example Sentences

In 2013, members announced their breakup; a year later, they released a greatest hits collection titled “May Death Never Stop You.”

From Los Angeles Times

On May 6, as Williams was unpacking the cooler of food he received from school, a police officer arrived.

From Los Angeles Times

A story I wrote here in May 2020 suggests some answers: The most obvious "why" is the global pandemic and its after-effects.

From Salon

In May 2023, employees in the biotechnology section sent a petition to the lab’s managers demanding they address the staff’s concerns.

From Los Angeles Times

Plans to force conventional cars off the market were originally meant to take effect in 2040, under plans introduced by Theresa May's government.

From BBC