amount

1 of 2

verb

ə-ˈmau̇nt 

amounted; amounting; amounts

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be the same in meaning or effect as

acts that amount to treason

b

: to reach in kind or quality : to turn out to be

wanted her son to amount to something [=to be successful]

The changes don't really amount to much. [=are not really substantial or significant]

2

: to reach a total : add up

The bill amounts to $10.

amount

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the total number or quantity : aggregate

trying to figure the amount of time it will take

b

: the quantity at hand or under consideration

has an enormous amount of energy

2

: the whole effect, significance, or import

3

accounting : a principal sum and the interest on it

Amount vs. Number: Usage Guide

Number is regularly used with count nouns

a large number of mistakes

any number of times

while amount is mainly used with mass nouns.

annual amount of rainfall

a substantial amount of money

The use of amount with count nouns has been frequently criticized; it usually occurs when the number of things is thought of as a mass or collection

glad to furnish any amount of black pebbles

—New Yorker

a substantial amount of film offers

—Lily Tomlin

or when money is involved.

a substantial amount of loans

—E. R. Black

Synonyms

Verb

• add up (to)
• aggregate
• come (to)
• count (up to)
• number
• sum (to or into)
• total

Noun

• measure
• quantity
• quantum
• volume

Examples of amount in a Sentence

Verb

the expenses of the trip amounted to nearly double what we'd budgeted for

it makes no difference whether you're going to the game or the movies, for it amounts to the same thing—that you can't babysit

Noun

The drug is not being produced in adequate amounts.

What is the amount to be paid?

An amount was finally agreed upon.

The new law limits the amount a candidate can spend.

When he died we found he owed money to the amount of $250,000!

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Yes, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin allows utilities to share the building's average consumption for the year and the highest and lowest consumption amounts for the year, said Meghan Sovey-Lashua, spokesperson for the commission. —Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 2 Dec. 2024

Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall with the new rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches, according to the weather service. —Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Noun

The amount working-age Americans spent on health insurance through the payroll deductions has jumped nearly three times faster than wages over the past two dozen years. —Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2024

The post sparked a huge amount of responses, with some people sharing similar experiences. —Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English amounten "to mount (a horse), increase, (of a sum, period of time) add up (to), come (to), be worth, be equal (to)," borrowed from Anglo-French amunter, amounter (continental Old French amonter) "to rise, increase, be worth, add up (to)," derivative of amunt, amount (continental Old French amont) "above, upward," univerbation of the adverbial phrase a mont "upward," literally "to the mountain," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + mont "mountain," going back to Latin mont-, mons — more at ad-, mount entry 1

Note: Alternatively Old French and Anglo-French amunter, amonter could be taken as a derivative of munter, monter "to mount" (see mount entry 2) with the prefix a-, usually forming transitive verbs. Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch lists the verb under both the etymon mons and *montare.

Noun

Middle English amunte, borrowed from Anglo-French, noun derivative of amunter "to rise, increase, be worth, add up (to)" — more at amount entry 1

Note: The noun is sparsely attested in Middle English and Anglo-French, and the post-medieval English noun should probably be taken as directly derived from the verb amount entry 1.

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing amount

• amount to
• amount to anything
• amount to much
• amount to something
• amount to the same thing
• no amount of
• not amount to much

Kids Definition

amount

1 of 2 verb

ə-ˈmau̇nt 

1

: to add up

the bill amounted to ten dollars

2

: to be the same in meaning or effect

acts that amount to treason

amount

2 of 2 noun

1

: the total number or quantity : aggregate

the amount to be paid

2

: a given or particular quantity or number

add the same amount to both columns