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

Asking $40 million, the seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home features ample greenery draped gracefully over the white exterior, accentuating the height and magnitude of the structure. —Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 21 Nov. 2024

Its generous dimensions offer ample coverage, whether you’re curled up with a good book or sharing it with a loved one. —Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024

With ample savings, happy retirees tend not to retire until the mortgage is paid off or the end is at least within sight. —Wes Moss, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

The studio is now an artist’s dream, with two kilns, ample space to work, storage and a dedicated area where Hsiao can pack her orders. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 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