numerous
Americanadjective
-
very many; being or existing in great quantity.
numerous visits;
numerous fish.
-
consisting of or comprising a great number of units or individuals.
Recent audiences have been more numerous.
adjective
-
being many
-
consisting of many units or parts
a numerous collection
Related Words
See many.
Other Word Forms
- numerosity noun
- numerously adverb
- numerousness noun
- overnumerous adjective
- overnumerously adverb
- overnumerousness noun
- supernumerous adjective
- supernumerously adverb
- supernumerousness noun
- unnumerous adjective
- unnumerously adverb
- unnumerousness noun
Etymology
Origin of numerous
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin numerōsus “consisting of a great number, numerous,” equivalent to numer(us) number + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
Numerous means very large in quantity. You wouldn’t use numerous to describe how many feet you have (just two), but you could use it to describe the infinite number of shoes in your closet. The adjective numerous is related to the word number — which is no big surprise since it basically means "a large number of something." Use numerous to describe a copious or abundant amount that you can't give a specific number for. Numerous fans probably come out for the all-star game, for example. And numerous players wish they made the all-star team.
Vocabulary lists containing numerous
myPerspectives 8.1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This rock formation has yielded numerous important discoveries over time.
From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026
The consent decree set forth numerous procedural and operational safeguards to be met before the pipelines could be restarted.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Given the myriad investments that you have created with multiple advisers and numerous accounts, it seems likely that some of those gains will inevitably occur in taxable accounts.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
The Justice Department is taking numerous actions aimed at America’s food-supply chain.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
When the weather permitted, the crew kept busy catching penguins, which were numerous and noisy in the nearby rookery.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
