abundant
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
existing in large quantities; more than enough.
present in great quantity; fully sufficient or overflowing.
Simple“The island has abundant fresh water and fruit, so nobody goes hungry.”
In context“The region is famous for its abundant natural resources, which have fueled industrial growth for over a century.”
UsageOften used before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
having a lot of something good or useful.
richly supplied or abounding with a particular resource or quality; typically follows the pattern 'abundant in'.
Simple“The valley is abundant in wildlife, especially rare birds.”
In context“The local diet is abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, which researchers believe contributes to the population's longevity.”
UsageFrequently takes the preposition 'in'.
Teacher's tipThis sense is more formal than simply saying 'has a lot of'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a special kind of number in math where its parts add up to more than the number itself.
referring to a natural number for which the sum of its proper divisors is greater than the number itself.
Simple“The number 12 is abundant because its divisors 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 add up to 16.”
In context“In number theory, an abundant number is distinguished from perfect and deficient numbers by the sum of its aliquot parts.”
Teacher's tipThis is a highly specialized mathematical term and is rarely encountered in general English.
Usage abundant evidence
First attested about 1380. From Middle English abundaunt, habundaunt, aboundant, from Anglo-Norman abundant, from Old French abondant, from Latin abundāns, present participle of abundō (“to overflow, to abound”). Compare abound.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.