numerous

1 of 2

adjective

nu·​mer·​ous ˈnü-mə-rəs How to pronounce numerous (audio)
ˈnüm-rə-;
ˈnyü-mə-, 
ˈnyüm-rə-
Synonyms of numerous
: consisting of great numbers of units or individuals
born into a numerous family
also : many
received numerous complaints
The people I'd like to thank are too numerous to mention.
numerously adverb
numerousness noun

numerousness

2 of 2

noun

nu·​mer·​ous·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being numerous

Synonyms of numerous

Relevance

Adjective

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Examples of numerous in a Sentence

Adjective She decided to leave for numerous reasons. The birds are becoming more numerous in this area.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
There are numerous possible reasons why Wells was not with his friends at the end of the trip, Ramsey said. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 11 July 2026 Now there may be hundreds more infected as 17 states have reported numerous cases. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 Neither has yet successfully shown a first-stage booster recovery, however, and numerous other Chinese ventures are in earlier stages of developing reusable rocketry. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 10 July 2026 Still Clinton, deep down, did not think that voters would give the majority of their votes to Trump and the reasons were numerous and quite apparent – at least to the Democrats. — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for numerous

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Latin numerōsus, from numerus number entry 2 + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of numerous was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing numerous

Rhymes for numerous

See All Rhymes for numerous

Browse Nearby Words

numero uno
numerous
numerously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Numerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/numerous. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

numerous

adjective
nu·​mer·​ous ˈn(y)üm-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce numerous (audio)
: consisting of great numbers
numerous friends
numerously adverb

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