myriad

1 of 2

noun

myr·​i·​ad ˈmir-ē-əd 

1

: ten thousand

2

: a great number

a myriad of ideas

Is myriad a noun?: Usage Guide

Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it.

myriad

2 of 2

adjective

1

: innumerable

those myriad problems

also : both numerous and diverse

myriad topics

2

: having innumerable aspects or elements

the myriad activity of the new land

—Meridel Le Sueur

Did you know?

You don’t need ten thousand justifications to use myriad as a noun, only one: with more than 400 years of usage history behind it, the noun myriad, as in the phrase “a myriad of,” is a well-established and respectable member of the English language. Still, we understand that “myriad of” raises the hackles of myriad folks who were taught at one point or another that myriad is only to be used as an adjective, and that phrases like “a myriad of emailers vexed about myriad” should be shunned in favor of “myriad emailers vexed about myriad.” Now, to each their own lexical peeves and pleasures, but let it be known that myriad entered the English language in the mid-1500s as a noun, and since its introduction has been used in the senses of “ten thousand,” “a set of ten thousand,” “an immense or indefinitely large number,” and “a great multitude”; furthermore, it has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton, Thoreau, Twain, and DuBois—no slouches when it comes to wielding words. Myriad the adjective is about 200 years younger, but both continue to enjoy wide use today.

Synonyms

Noun

• abundance
• barrel
• basketful
• boatload
• bucket
• bunch
• bundle
• bushel
• carload
• chunk
• deal
• dozen
• fistful
• gobs
• good deal
• heap
• hundred
• lashings [chiefly British]
• lashins
• loads
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mountain
• much
• multiplicity
• oodles
• pack
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plateful
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• pot
• potful
• profusion
• quantity
• raft
• reams
• scads
• sheaf
• shipload
• sight
• slew
• spate
• stack
• store
• ton
• truckload
• volume
• wad
• wealth
• yard

Adjective

• divers
• manifold
• multifarious

Examples of myriad in a Sentence

Noun

Mr. McCullough hails Adams for being uncannily prescient … foreseeing a myriad of developments, from the difficulty of defeating the British … to the divisive consequences of slavery. —Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 22 May 2001

Sectarian Protestantism reinforced both American individualism and the tendency of the society to be self-organizing in a myriad of voluntary associations and communities. —Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999

Out in the barrios, under the nipa palms, he listened to the myriads of humming cicadas and the call of the geckos. —Nina FitzPatrick, Fables of the Irish Intelligentsia, 1991

To read Marie Corelli, you had to be able to follow several hundred printed words at a time, and there were myriads in England who were up to it. —Hugh Kenner, A Sinking Island, 1987

… laced his fingers behind his head and stared at the myriads of tiny colored dots that make up darkness. —John Steinbeck, East of Eden, 1952

There are a myriad of possibilities.

the car can be outfitted with a myriad of options

Adjective

… the more quotations that could be found, the more easily the subtle differences between the (possibly) myriad usages and meanings of any single word could be identified. This is how historical dictionaries are made … —Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything, 2003

The age of white guilt, with its myriad corruptions and its almost racist blindness to minority individuality, may someday go down like the age of racism went down … —Shelby Steele, Harper's, November 2002

World War II accelerated the progress of science and technology into the microcosm. Scientists and technologists played tag with one another in their search for microscopic control. With mathematics and myriad theories, they defined a new microcosm. —Joseph A. Amato, Dust, 2000

The old system's problems were myriad.

the myriad problems that today's cities face

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a dynamic landscape, the need for data warehousing is becoming increasingly apparent, and there are a myriad of tools available that can distill large volumes of information and complex variables, filter out extraneous information and even draw conclusions for you. —Naveen Singh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Germany is facing a myriad of social and economic issues that have no easy fix. —Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 1 Nov. 2024

Adjective

California voters have soundly approved Proposition 36, the ballot measure aimed at toughening punishments for serial theft and fentanyl dealing, making good on myriad polls heading into Election Day that showed over 70% support for the initiative. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

Wisconsin voters cast ballots for President of the United States, U.S. Senator, all U.S. Congressional seats and myriad Wisconsin state Senate and all Wisconsin state Assembly seats. —Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Greek myriad-, myrias, from myrioi countless, ten thousand

First Known Use

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

myriad

1 of 2 noun

myr·​i·​ad ˈmir-ē-əd 

1

: ten thousand

2

: a large but not specified or counted number

myriads of stars

myriad

2 of 2 adjective

: extremely numerous

the myriad grains of sand on a beach