ample

adjective am·ple \ ˈam-pəl \

Updated on: 3 Dec 2017

Definition of ample

ampler play \-p(ə-)lər\; amplest play \-p(ə-)ləst\

1 : generous or more than adequate in size, scope, or capacity

There was room for an ample garden.

2 : generously sufficient to satisfy a requirement or need

They had ample money for the trip.

3 : buxom, portly

an ample figure

—

ampleness

play \-pəl-nəs\ noun

—

amply

play \-plē\ adverb

See ample defined for English-language learners

See ample defined for kids

Examples of ample in a Sentence

They had ample money for the trip.
The police found ample evidence of wrongdoing.
There is ample parking at the stadium.
You will have ample opportunity to finish the test.
The light in the room is more than ample.
There was room for an ample garden.
an ample serving of pie

Recent Examples of ample from the Web

Good diction and ample acoustics allow Menotti’s purplish text and fake-Puccini tunes to come through clearly.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Racette's searing performance elevates melodramatic hokum of COT's 'The Consul'," 5 Nov. 2017
Find a road Many online resources point bikepackers to state parks with ample campsites and roads where drivers are accustomed to bikers.

— jeff layton, The Seattle Times, "‘Bikepacking’ is a treat when toddler gets too heavy for your back," 20 Sep. 2017
Shula and Sarkisian both have ample offensive talent, but neither coordinator has found his rhythm.

— joseph person and jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Falcons-Panthers a huge NFC South matchup. How it will play out, position-by-position," 3 Nov. 2017
This time there are no bats or gloves involved, but there's ample evidence of slugging.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Williamsburg softballers also slam volleyballs," 19 Sep. 2017
Supermarkets have ample condensed and evaporated milk but few cartons of the fresh stuff.

— fabiola zerpa, Bloomberg.com, "Weird Food for Sale in Venezuela But Nothing That Anyone Wants," 18 Sep. 2017
The yard is ample enough for ball games, the quiet streets perfect for bike riding.

— anndee hochman, Philly.com, "The Parent Trip: Jim Guyon and José Lugo of Williamstown," 13 Sep. 2017
According to Amanda Borschel-Dan of the Times of Israel, archaeologists working in the Negev recently uncovered an ample, Byzantine-era wine press, revealing that the region’s inhabitants were putting their agricultural skills to boozy use.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Byzantine Wine Press Found in Israeli Desert," 2 Aug. 2017
History presents ample evidence of the resiliency of the Greeks.

— nicholas gage and joan paulson gage, Town & Country, "Why Is the King of Greece Living as a Commoner?," 21 Aug. 2015

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ample.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ample

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin amplus ample

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

ample Synonyms

Synonyms

abundant, plentiful, aplenty, bounteous, bountiful, comfortable, cornucopian, galore, generous, liberal, plenteous, plenty

Antonyms

bare, minimal, scant, spare

Related Words

extra, supernumerary, surplus; abounding, blooming, overflowing, plump, replete, rich, rife, teeming, wealthy; adequate, enough, sufficient; fat, fecund, fertile, fruitful, luxuriant, prodigal, prolific; copious, fulsome, lavish, profuse

Near Antonyms

deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, wanting; meager (or meagre), niggardly, stingy; skimpy; least, minimum; light, slight, small; barren, infertile, sterile, unfruitful, unproductive

Synonym Discussion of ample

spacious, commodious, capacious, ample mean larger in extent or capacity than the average. spacious implies great length and breadth.

- a spacious front lawn

commodious stresses roominess and comfortableness.

- a commodious and airy penthouse apartment

capacious stresses the ability to hold, contain, or retain more than the average.

- a capacious suitcase

ample implies having a greater size, expanse, or amount than that deemed adequate.

- ample closet space

plentiful, ample, abundant, copious mean more than sufficient without being excessive. plentiful implies a great or rich supply.

- peaches are plentiful this summer

ample implies a generous sufficiency to satisfy a particular requirement.

- ample food to last the winter

abundant suggests an even greater or richer supply than does plentiful.

- streams abundant with fish

copious stresses largeness of supply rather than fullness or richness.

- copious examples of bureaucratic waste

AMPLE Defined for English Language Learners

ample

adjective

Definition of ample for English Language Learners

: having or providing enough or more than enough of what is needed
: quite large
—used to describe a person's (especially a woman's) body as being large in usually an attractive way