ample

[ am-puhl ]

adjective

, am·pler, am·plest.

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

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

   ample storage space.

   Synonyms: vast, great, capacious, extensive

ample

/ ˈæmpəl /

adjective

1. more than sufficient; abundant

   an ample helping

2. large in size, extent, or amount

   of ample proportions

Derived Forms

• ˈampleness, noun

Other Words From

• ample·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ample¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin amplus “wide, large”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ample¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin amplus spacious

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

History provides ample evidence of the consequences of allowing ideology to govern scientific inquiry.

From Los Angeles Times

A plain-spoken farmer and Montana native who famously lost three of his fingers in a childhood meat-grinding accident, his buzz cut and ample belly make him no one’s idea of a slick, poll-tested politician.

From Los Angeles Times

The actor was unfamiliar with the ‘Dune’ universe before taking the part of Tula Harkonnen in the prequel series, but history provided ample fodder for her character.

From Los Angeles Times

Young’s ample pipes and charisma are on full display on her latest single, “Charlie,” a funky ballad about a toxic romance.

From New York Times

"Life’s busy for everybody - but we do our best to make it convenient and give people ample opportunity," he says.

From BBC

Related Words

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

More About Ample

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.

Where does ample come from?

The first records of the word ample come from the 1400s. It comes from the Latin amplus, meaning “large,” “wide,” or “spacious.” The words amplitude and amplify are based on the same root.

Amplitude can refer to the state of being ample, but it’s typically used in a more specific way in technical and scientific measurements. More commonly, the noun ampleness refers to the state of having enough or more than enough. Ample has many common synonyms, and it also has many antonyms (opposites) that mean “not enough,” including insufficient, inadequate, scant, scanty, and meager.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ample?

• ampleness (noun)
• amply (adverb)

What are some synonyms for ample?

• enough
• sufficient
• adequate
• plentiful
• abundant
• copious
• bountiful
• substantial

What are some words that share a root or word element with ample? 

 

• amplitude
• amplify

What are some words that often get used in discussing ample?

• time
• room
• space
• reward
• resources
• money
• evidence
• proof
• opportunity
• provide
• offer

How is ample used in real life?

Ample can be used to describe both tangible things, such as food and water, and intangible ones, such as space and time.

The easiest way to create social media content that doesn’t have a “hello fellow kids” vibe is to hire young people to run digital strategy and give them ample resources to do their job. It’s not rocket science

— Ethan Gardner 🏛🚂 (@ethanhgardner) January 2, 2021

Ample space with 16-28’ clear height! 🤩 #industrialrealestate pic.twitter.com/WOVopkPv0X

— CapRock Partners (@caprockpartners) January 4, 2021

Years in future when they try to understand an entire nation's collapse of conscience, I hope there's ample documentation now of the role a morally corrupt media and celebrities played in it.

— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) November 30, 2020

 

Try using ample!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of ample? 

A. scanty
B. plentiful
C. bountiful
D. abundant