Meanings
- 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 - A quantity (of something) that is fully sufficient; plenty.
We don't need any more. We already have ample.
comparative ampler · superlative amplest
- 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 - 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 - Not contracted or brief; not concise; extended; diffusive
an ample story
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivemore than enough in size or scope or capacity
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-lo-s
- Proto-Italic*amlos?
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts?
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰí
- Proto-Italic*amβi-
- Latinambi-
- Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*pl̥h₁nós
- Proto-Italic*plēnos
- Latinplēnus?
- Latinambiplus?
- Latinamplus
- Old Frenchample
- Middle Frenchample
- Middle Englishample
- Englishample
From late Middle English ample, from Middle French ample, from Latin amplus (“large”).
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Latin
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
ample. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ample
“ample.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ample. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ample,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ample.
Source: ample on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.