# abundant

/əˈbəndənt/ (US) · /ɐbˈʌndənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abundant
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. plentiful

adjective · CEFR B2

existing in large quantities; more than enough.

For teachers: present in great quantity; fully sufficient or overflowing.

- The island has abundant fresh water and fruit, so nobody goes hungry.
- The region is famous for its abundant natural resources, which have fueled industrial growth for over a century.

Usage: Often used before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be'.

### 2. richly supplied with

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

having a lot of something good or useful.

For teachers: richly supplied or abounding with a particular resource or quality; typically follows the pattern 'abundant in'.

- The valley is abundant in wildlife, especially rare birds.
- The local diet is abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, which researchers believe contributes to the population's longevity.

Usage: Frequently takes the preposition 'in'.

Teaching tip: This sense is more formal than simply saying 'has a lot of'.

### 3. abundant number

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special kind of number in math where its parts add up to more than the number itself.

For teachers: referring to a natural number for which the sum of its proper divisors is greater than the number itself.

- The number 12 is abundant because its divisors 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 add up to 16.
- In number theory, an abundant number is distinguished from perfect and deficient numbers by the sum of its aliquot parts.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized mathematical term and is rarely encountered in general English.

## Examples

- The garden has abundant sunshine all day long.
- The region is famous for its abundant natural resources, which have fueled the local economy for decades.
- Researchers found abundant evidence suggesting that the ancient civilization possessed advanced knowledge of irrigation and crop rotation long before their neighbors.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.