numerous

adjective

nu·​mer·​ous ˈnü-mə-rəs 

ˈnüm-rə-;

ˈnyü-mə-,

ˈnyüm-rə-

: 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

Synonyms

• beaucoup [slang]
• legion
• many
• multifold
• multiple
• multiplex
• multitudinous

Examples of numerous in a Sentence

She decided to leave for numerous reasons.

The birds are becoming more numerous in this area.

Recent Examples on the Web

As part of their cash-savings push, his lieutenants have swept through numerous government agencies and the Trump administration has fired thousands of federal employees. —Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025

Online information pages on the sites of numerous federal agencies mentioning diversity initiatives have been removed. —Solcyré Burga, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025

The bans on religious clothing have slowly entered numerous French sports associations and federations, and the current bill making its way through the French parliament would in effect unify them. —Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

However, Bellinger went on to endure numerous injuries and down years before being non-tendered by Los Angeles after the 2022 season. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing numerous

• too numerous to list
• too numerous to mention

Rhymes for numerous

• humerus
• humorous

Kids Definition

numerous

adjective

nu·​mer·​ous ˈn(y)üm-(ə-)rəs 

: consisting of great numbers

numerous friends

numerously adverb