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

There have been moments of encouragement on her climb back into the world's top 60, but plenty of patience has also been required.

From BBC

Some of those hoping for a change in the law fear the health secretary’s interventions risk putting plenty of Labour MPs off backing it.

From BBC

At age 76, four decades removed from his formative turn as Sam Malone in “Cheers,” Danson was intrigued by what “A Man on the Inside” attempts to unpack: that older people still have plenty more to contribute to the world and derive a better quality of life through such a sense of belonging.

From Los Angeles Times

Anybody who stood up for what most certainly is good and right and decent should be plenty proud of themselves right now.

From Salon

While the Kremlin has tried blocking the service, results have been mixed at best — and nowadays TOR is less necessary, as there are plenty of mirrors on the clear web.

From Salon

Related Words

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