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

The Jayhawks had numerous opportunities to put away No. 7 Houston in Saturday’s loss — a 92-86 double-overtime thriller — but finally appeared to run out of steam. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025

An American flag the size of the football field was displayed by numerous fans, creating a perfect wide shot of the whole scene before the two teams got to work on the gridiron. —Scott Thompson, Fox News, 26 Jan. 2025

Hiking The pine forests in and around Stockholm can be explored along numerous hiking trails, all free and open to visitors thanks to allemansrätten, the Swedish right of public access, which is protected by law. —Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 26 Jan. 2025

For owners named in these lawsuits, the clock starts ticking immediately and there are numerous dates to keep straight. —Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 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

Kids Definition

numerous

adjective

nu·​mer·​ous ˈn(y)üm-(ə-)rəs 

: consisting of great numbers

numerous friends

numerously adverb