copious

[ koh-pee-uhs ]

adjective

1. large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful:

   copious amounts of food.

   Synonyms: bountiful

   Antonyms: scarce, scanty

2. having or yielding an abundant supply:

   a copious larder;

   a copious harvest.

3. exhibiting abundance or fullness, as of thoughts or words.

   Antonyms: meager

copious

/ ˈkəʊpɪəs /

adjective

1. abundant; extensive in quantity
2. having or providing an abundant supply
3. full of words, ideas, etc; profuse

Derived Forms

• ˈcopiousness, noun
• ˈcopiously, adverb

Other Words From

• copi·ous·ly adverb
• copi·ous·ness co·pi·os·i·ty [koh-pee-, os, -i-tee], noun
• over·copi·ous adjective
• over·copi·ous·ly adverb
• over·copi·ous·ness noun
• un·copi·ous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of copious¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin cōpiōsus “plentiful, rich,” from cōpi(a) “wealth” (from co- co- + op(s) “plenty, power, support” + -ia -ia ) + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of copious¹

C14: from Latin cōpiōsus well supplied, from cōpia abundance, from ops wealth

Synonym Study

See ample.

Example Sentences

Industrial plants, such as those that make cement or steel, emit copious amounts of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, but the exhaust is too hot for state-of-the-art carbon removal technology.

From Science Daily

Taliban government deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, who didn’t want to be pictured with a woman or sit directly opposite me, justified the new edict, which came accompanied with copious footnotes - references to religious texts.

From BBC

To avoid that, she carried out a “vetting process,” meeting Sanders and producer Jeff Hermann on multiple occasions with copious questions about their motivations for the film.

From Los Angeles Times

Generously — or foolishly — Babb lent Steinbeck her copious research notes, which he used as inspiration for “The Grapes of Wrath,” whose success undermined Babb’s career.

From Los Angeles Times

At every symposium on learning through play, every panel on teenage angst, every forum on how to build grit, I was there, all ears and taking copious notes along the way.

From Salon

Related Words

• ample
• extensive