Numerous

How to spell numerous

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce numerous

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does numerous mean?

1. adjectiveExisting or occurring in large numbers; many.

Numerous in a sentence

• The report listed numerous errors in the original accounts.

• She received numerous complaints about the late delivery.

Where does numerous come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin numerosus, meaning 'consisting of many' or 'abundant', which was built on numerus, the ordinary Latin word for 'number'. That same numerus root lies behind a whole family of English words including number, numeral, enumerate and numerical, all sharing the idea of counting and quantity. English adopted numerous in the early 1400s, at first carrying senses related to rhythm and measured proportion in poetry before settling firmly on its modern meaning of 'many in count'. The -ous ending is the same productive suffix seen in famous and dangerous, and it simply turns a noun idea into an adjective meaning 'full of' that quality. Because the middle is the unstressed syllable -mer-, writers occasionally slip and write 'numberous' under the influence of 'number', but the Latin spelling never had that b.

How the word is built

• numer- (from Latin numerus: number)
• -ous (adjective suffix meaning 'full of, characterised by')