numerous
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
existing in large numbers.
consisting of or existing in a great number; used as a formal synonym for 'many'.
Simple“The author has won numerous awards for her latest novel.”
In context“Despite numerous attempts to resolve the technical glitch, the engineering team was forced to postpone the satellite launch until the following spring.”
UsageTypically used as an attributive adjective before a plural noun.
Teacher's tipWhile 'many' is suitable for all contexts, 'numerous' is preferred in academic writing and formal reports to provide variety and precision.
PitfallThere were numerous of people at the event. There were numerous people at the event.Unlike 'hundreds' or 'thousands', 'numerous' is an adjective that describes the noun directly. Do not use 'of' after it.
Usage numerous instances
“Wells-Wonsley also described the numerous professional and personal attacks she has received since her son’s death.”
“Southampton hosts one of the numerous government-backed trials around England.”
From Middle English numerous from Latin numerōsus (“numerous, abundant; harmonious”), from numerus (“number”). Doublet of numerose. Analyzeable as numero- + -ous.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.