copious

adjective

co·​pi·​ous ˈkō-pē-əs 

1

a

: yielding something abundantly

a copious harvest

copious springs

b

: plentiful in number

copious references to other writers

2

a

: full of thought, information, or matter

… Shakespeare, whose soul was so copious …

—Gilbert Highet

b

: profuse or exuberant in words, expression, or style

a copious talker

3

: present in large quantity : taking place on a large scale

copious weeping

copious food and drink

copiously adverb

copiousness noun

Did you know?

Despite meaning “abundance,” the Latin word copia has not led to an abundance of words in English; in other words, its descendants are far from copious—at least on the surface. There’s copious, of course, which comes from copia by way of Middle English and has been used since the 14th century, when it first described things—such as farmlands or ore deposits—that produce abundant yields. Then there’s cornucopia, which combines this same root with cornu, meaning “horn,” and refers to an inexhaustible store or abundance of something (as well as to a decorative horn or horn-shaped basket overflowing with produce and used as a symbol of abundance). Finally, there’s the commonplace word copy, used as both noun and verb. That’s all she wrote… unless you consider the mucho copious amount—nay, cornucopia—of words that start or end with copy, from copycat to photocopy to copypasta.

Synonyms

• galore
• gushing
• lavish
• profuse
• riotous

Choose the Right Synonym for copious

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 copious in a Sentence

It was no surprise that spin was more copious than ever during the election campaign. —Michael Kinsley, Time, 25 Dec. 2000–1 Jan. 2001

These pockets of melted rock are rich in silica and release copious amounts of volatile gases that are held under high pressures. —Sandra Blakeslee, New York Times, 7 Apr. 1998

… travelers grew accustomed to having copious helpings of meat when they visited Quimper's inn. —James A. Michener, Texas, 1985

The Constants—ignorant, vulgar, and brash—had copious quantities of dumb luck. —Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Sirens Of Titan, 1959

The storm produced a copious amount of rain.

She sat in the front row and took copious notes during the lecture.

Recent Examples on the Web

Chunky sweaters, knit hats and fluffy slippers are all items that can be worn while eating copious amounts of pasta. —Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

The harrowing true story of the lions, which raided tents in the camp at night and dragged victims into the thicket, has inspired movies and books over the years — and copious research to understand what drove them to prey on humans. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024

Some supermassive black holes do come with copious X-rays. —Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024

Folie à Deux is both overlong and empty, padded out with copious shots of characters walking down hallways or staring out of car windows. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin copiosus, from copia abundance, from co- + ops wealth — more at opulent

First Known Use

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

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Kids Definition

copious

adjective

co·​pi·​ous ˈkō-pē-əs 

: very plentiful

a copious amount of food

copiously adverb

copiousness noun