ample

adjective

am·​ple ˈam-pəl 

ampler ˈam-p(ə-)lər  ; amplest ˈam-p(ə-)ləst 

1

: generous or more than adequate in size, scope, or capacity

There was room for an ample garden.

2

: generously sufficient to satisfy a requirement or need

They had ample money for the trip.

3

: buxom, portly

an ample figure

ampleness

ˈam-pəl-nəs 

noun

amply

ˈam-plē 

adverb

Synonyms

• abundant
• aplenty
• bounteous
• bountiful
• comfortable
• cornucopian
• galore
• generous
• liberal
• plenteous
• plentiful
• plenty

Choose the Right Synonym for ample

spacious, commodious, capacious, ample mean larger in extent or capacity than the average.

spacious implies great length and breadth.

a spacious front lawn

commodious stresses roominess and comfortableness.

a commodious and airy penthouse apartment

capacious stresses the ability to hold, contain, or retain more than the average.

a capacious suitcase

ample implies having a greater size, expanse, or amount than that deemed adequate.

ample closet space

plentiful, ample, abundant, copious mean more than sufficient without being excessive.

plentiful implies a great or rich supply.

peaches are plentiful this summer

ample implies a generous sufficiency to satisfy a particular requirement.

ample food to last the winter

abundant suggests an even greater or richer supply than does plentiful.

streams abundant with fish

copious stresses largeness of supply rather than fullness or richness.

copious examples of bureaucratic waste

Examples of ample in a Sentence

They had ample money for the trip.

The police found ample evidence of wrongdoing.

There is ample parking at the stadium.

You will have ample opportunity to finish the test.

The light in the room is more than ample.

There was room for an ample garden.

an ample serving of pie

Recent Examples on the Web

Pulled from the early aughts running archive, these have been designed for modern day with sport elements and ample cushion to keep you on your feet all day long. —Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2024

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has ample, sharply recollected fond memories of his Fontana (aka Fontucky) youth and his musical coming of age there. —Steven Gaydos, Variety, 30 Apr. 2024

Additionally, the house features a two-car garage, providing ample room for vehicles and storage needs. —Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2024

In addition to an eat-in chef’s kitchen and a summer kitchen decked out with premium-grade appliances, there’s an ample formal dining room and several patios for alfresco snacks and meals. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2024

The letter said students should have ample room to express themselves even as schools announce and enforce reasonable content-neutral protest policies and armed police on campus should be a measure of last resort. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024

But Thursday’s results showed there’s ample room for both companies to grow. —Julia Love, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024

Although this option doesn’t feature any additional storage, the desk's size provided ample surface area for essential items. —Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2024

The ceremony was held at a family home with an ample backyard. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "abundant," borrowed from Anglo-French, "wide, extensive, great," going back to Latin amplus "more than adequate in size or extent, great, having wide scope (of the mind or other abstract entities)," of uncertain origin

Note: M. de Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Brill, 2008) sees amplus going back to *am-lo-, a derivative of a verb base *am- going back to Indo-European *h₂emh₃- "take hold of" (see amateur). Semantically this hypothesis works well, though it requires that the more likely form *am-a-lo- would have undergone early syncope. The word ampla, supposedly meaning "handle," would be corroboration; however, attestations for ampla are post-classical, excepting an apparent metaphorical employment in the sense "opportunity" by Cicero.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ample

adjective

am·​ple ˈam-pəl 

ampler -p(ə-)lər  ; amplest -p(ə-)ləst 

1

: generous in size, scope, or capacity : copious

ample room for a garden

2

: enough to satisfy a need

ample money for the trip

ampleness noun

amply

-plē 

adverb