mayhap

adverb

may·​hap ˈmā-ˌhap  mā-ˈhap 

: perhaps

Did you know?

If, mayhap, the word mayhap looks to you like a relative of its synonym perhaps, you perceive correctly. Both ultimately derive from the Middle English noun hap, meaning "chance" or "fortune." Mayhap was formed by combining the phrase "(it) may hap" into a single word (the word maybe, another synonym of mayhap and perhaps, was developed similarly from may and be). Hap in the phrase is a verb essentially meaning "to happen"; the verb hap comes from the noun hap. Perhaps came about when per, meaning "through the agency of," was combined directly with the noun hap to form one word. Today, mayhap is rare, especially compared to the very common maybe and perhaps, but it does show up occasionally, especially in genres of fiction whose characters speak with an old-timey flair.

Synonyms

• conceivably
• maybe
• perchance
• perhaps
• possibly

Examples of mayhap in a Sentence

mayhap I could see you again next week? I so enjoyed our date tonight

Recent Examples on the Web

Given that the Switch is getting up there in years compared to its competition, mayhap a new system is on the horizon, one that might be teased at tomorrow’s Direct? —Ash Parrish, The Verge, 7 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase may hap

First Known Use

circa 1531, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

mayhap

adverb

may·​hap ˈmā-ˌhap  mā-ˈhap 

: perhaps