ample

A1M3P3L1E1
US, UK/ˈæm.pəl/

determiner

A fully sufficient or abundant quantity of; enough or more than enough.

“She has a very ample bosom.”

Opposite
CommonScrabble 9

Meanings

determiner
  1. A fully sufficient or abundant quantity of; enough or more than enough.

    We have ample time to finish the task.

    4 more examples

    It is a large house with ample space for all of us.

    …a broad and ample road, whose dust is gold…

    1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book II)^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost_(1667)/Book_II)

    …a line of wooden troughs supplies ample water for irrigation.

    1862, Richard F. Burton, The City of the Saints

    …possesses an ample supply of water-power for industrial purposes.

    1911, Various (ed. Hugh Chisholm), 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Article on Sweden
  2. A quantity (of something) that is fully sufficient; plenty.

    We don't need any more. We already have ample.

adjectiveample (comparative ampler, superlative amplest)

comparative ampler · superlative amplest

  1. Large; great in size, extent, capacity, or bulk; for example spacious, roomy or widely extended.

    She has a very ample bosom.

    2 more examples

    We have an ample supply of water

    [H]e was satisfied that Alice yet lived; he hoped she might yet escape and return. […] He enriched Mrs. Jones for life, in gratitude for her vindication of his lost and early love: he promised the amplest rewards for the smallest clue.

    1837, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XI, in Ernest Maltravers […] , volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, book I, page 111
  2. Very adequate.

    It was pointed out to me that the security was ample, and as I had no practical knowledge of house-valuing there was nothing to be gained by inspecting it.

    1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC
  3. Not contracted or brief; not concise; extended; diffusive

    an ample story

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivemore than enough in size or scope or capacity

Opposite

adjectiveaffording an abundant supply

adjectivefairly large in size

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-lo-s
  3. Proto-Italic*amlos?
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts?
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰí
  7. Proto-Italic*amβi-
  8. Latinambi-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*pl̥h₁nós
  11. Proto-Italic*plēnos
  12. Latinplēnus?
  13. Latinambiplus?
  14. Latinamplus
  15. Old Frenchample
  16. Middle Frenchample
  17. Middle Englishample
  18. Englishample

From late Middle English ample, from Middle French ample, from Latin amplus (“large”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian обширен, просторен
  • обширен (obširen)large; great in size
  • просторен (prostoren)large; great in size
Chinese Mandarin 充足
  • 充足 (chōngzú)large; great in size
Czech dostatečný, hojný
  • dostatečnýlarge; great in size
  • hojnýlarge; great in size
  • bohatýlarge; great in size
  • širokýlarge; great in size
  • rozsáhlýnot contracted or brief; not concise
Danish stor, vid
  • storlarge; great in size
  • vidlarge; great in size
  • fyldignot contracted or brief; not concise
Esperanto ampleksa
  • ampleksalarge; great in size
Finnish tilava, iso
  • tilavalarge; great in size
  • isolarge; great in size
  • suurilarge; great in size
  • laajanot contracted or brief; not concise
  • pitkänot contracted or brief; not concise
French ample
  • amplelarge; great in size
German groß, umfangreich
  • großlarge; great in size
  • umfangreichlarge; great in size
Hindi प्रचुर, पर्याप्त
  • प्रचुर (pracur)large; great in size
  • पर्याप्त (paryāpt)large; great in size
Italian ampio
  • ampiolarge; great in size
Latin magnus
  • magnuslarge; great in size
Norwegian fyldig
  • fyldignot contracted or brief; not concise
Persian کافی, فراوان
  • کافیlarge; great in size
  • فراوانlarge; great in size
  • فراخ (farâx)large; great in size
Polish duży, obszerny
  • dużylarge; great in size
  • obszernylarge; great in size
Portuguese amplo
  • amplolarge; great in size
Romanian amplu
  • amplularge; great in size
Russian огро́мный, обши́рный
  • огро́мный (ogrómnyj)large; great in size
  • обши́рный (obšírnyj)large; great in size
  • просто́рный (prostórnyj)large; great in size
Spanish amplio, amplo
  • ampliolarge; great in size
  • amplolarge; great in size
Swedish fyllig
  • fyllignot contracted or brief; not concise

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ample

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

ample. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ample

MLA

“ample.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ample. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ample,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ample.

Source: ample on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.