ample

[am-puhl]

adjective

ampler, amplest 

1. fully sufficient or more than adequate for the purpose or needs; plentiful; enough: ample time to finish.

   an ample supply of water;

   ample time to finish.

2. of sufficient or abundant measure; liberal; copious.

   an ample reward.

   Synonyms: plenteous, lavish, free, generous
   Antonyms: meager, scanty, scanty

3. of adequate or more than adequate extent, size, or amount; large; spacious; roomy.

   ample storage space.

   Synonyms: vast, great, capacious, extensive

ample

/ ˈæmpəl /

adjective

1. more than sufficient; abundant

   an ample helping

2. large in size, extent, or amount

   of ample proportions

Other Word Forms

• ampleness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ample¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin amplus “wide, large”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ample¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin amplus spacious

Synonym Study

See plentiful. Ample, liberal, copious, profuse describe degrees of abundant provision. Ample implies a plentiful provision: to give ample praise. Liberal implies provision from a generous supply (more than ample but less than copious ): Liberal amounts of food were distributed to people who needed it. Copious implies an apparently inexhaustible and lavish abundance: a copious flow of tears. Profuse implies a still more unrestrained abundance of provision or flow: profuse in his apologies.

Example Sentences

The state still provides ample opportunities for technological and financial elites but leaves behind a broad spectrum of the middle and working classes.

From Los Angeles Times

Pro tip: Just outside Fixins Soul Kitchen is Harmony Park, an urban greenspace with ample seating, phone charging stations, and plenty of trees to provide shade from the elements.

From Salon

Goodbye as well to a covey of quarterbacks, several of whom didn’t impress despite getting ample opportunities with most starters sitting out the entire preseason.

From Los Angeles Times

And, he said, if voters approve the new lines, “I believe we will have ample opportunity to set the maps aside in federal court.”

From Los Angeles Times

“You do not need ample space to create your oasis — just a bit of planning and an appetite for experimentation.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abundant 
• bountiful 
• broad 
• copious 
• expansive 
• extensive 
• generous 
• great 
• plentiful 
• spacious 
• substantial 
• voluminous 
• wide 

When To Use

What does ample mean?

Ample means enough—sufficient or adequate. It can also mean more than enough—plentiful or abundant.It is often used in the context of things like time, room, space, supplies, or resources (such as food and money) to indicate that there is enough or more than enough of what is needed.Sometimes, ample means large in size, extent, or amount, as in It was an ample tract of land. Ample can be used in front of a noun, as in We have ample funds to cover the purchase, or elsewhere in the sentence, as in The payment was ample. The adverb form of ample is amply, meaning sufficiently or abundantly, as in He gave amply to charity. Example: There was no one else there, so there was ample space to spread out.