plenty

[plen-tee]

noun

plural

plenties 

1. a full or abundant supply or amount.

   There is plenty of time.

2. the state or quality of being plentiful; abundance.

   resources in plenty.

   Synonyms: affluence, luxuriance, copiousness, plenteousness

3. an abundance, as of goods or luxuries, or a time of such abundance.

   the plenty of a rich harvest; the plenty that comes with peace.

adjective

1. existing in ample quantity or number; plentiful; abundant.

   Food is never too plenty in the area.

2. more than sufficient; ample.

   That helping is plenty for me.

adverb

1. Informal.,  fully; quite.

   plenty good enough.

plenty

¹

/ ˈplɛntɪ /

noun

1. (often foll by of) a great number, amount, or quantity; lots

   plenty of time

   there are plenty of cars on display here

2. generous or ample supplies of wealth, produce, or resources

   the age of plenty

3. existing in abundance

   food in plenty

determiner

1. 1. very many; ample

      plenty of people believe in ghosts

   2. ( as pronoun )

      there's plenty more

      that's plenty, thanks

adverb

1. not_standard,  (intensifier)

   he was plenty mad

2. informal,  more than adequately; abundantly

   the water's plenty hot enough

Plenty

²

/ ˈplɛntɪ /

noun

1. a large bay of the Pacific on the NE coast of the North Island, New Zealand

Usage

The construction plenty of is standard in all varieties of speech and writing: plenty of room in the shed. The use of plenty preceding a noun, without an intervening of, first appeared in the late 19th century: plenty room in the shed. It occurs today chiefly in informal speech. As an adverb, a use first recorded in the mid-19th century, plenty is also informal and is found chiefly in speech or written representations of speech.

Other Word Forms

• overplenty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of plenty¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English plente, from Old French; replacing Middle English plenteth, from Old French plented, plentet, from Latin plēnitāt- (stem of plēnitās ) “fullness.” See plenum, -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of plenty¹

C13: from Old French plenté, from Late Latin plēnitās fullness, from Latin plēnus full

Idioms and Phrases

see under not the only fish in the sea.

Synonym Study

Plenty, abundance, profusion refer to a large quantity or supply. Plenty suggests a supply that is fully adequate to any demands: plenty of money. Abundance implies a great plenty, an ample and generous oversupply: an abundance of rain. Profusion applies to such a lavish and excessive abundance as often suggests extravagance or prodigality: luxuries in great profusion.

Example Sentences

The couple's new role demanded plenty of travel, and the duchess began to feel the strain.

From BBC

Matthews, nominated as World Player of the Year twice in the past three years and a veteran of England's 2014 World Cup win, has plenty of leadership experience.

From BBC

Not only is Ayton setting her sights on records, but she's got her eyes on gold and plenty of it.

From BBC

From the outside, the building is modest, but inside, the recently renovated lobby is bright and welcoming, with plenty of seating and a communal microwave that’s surprisingly handy.

From Salon

Robert Ross said there were "plenty of people talking" but "no solid answers" as of yet - but he also appreciated the effort that had gone into the event.

From BBC

Related Words

• enough 
• good deal www.thesaurus.com
• luxury 
• plethora 
• quantity 
• torrent 
• wealth