Meaning & use
plentiful
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Available in large amounts, so that there is more than enough.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: plentiful supplies, fish are plentiful.
Patterns
- be plentiful
Fresh fruit is plentiful in the valley during summer.
The region has plentiful rainfall, so farming is easy.
Food was plentiful at the wedding, and nobody went home hungry.
Word forms
| comparative | more plentiful |
|---|---|
| superlative | most plentiful |
Common combinations
- plentiful supply
- The village has a plentiful supply of clean water.
- plentiful harvest
- A warm spring led to a plentiful harvest.
- remain plentiful
- Jobs remain plentiful in the construction industry.
- plentiful evidence
- There is plentiful evidence that exercise improves mood.
- in plentiful supply
- Wild berries are in plentiful supply this year.
Synonyms and how they differ
- abundant
- Abundant is slightly more formal and can suggest overflowing richness, while plentiful simply means more than enough.
- ample
- Ample means enough or more than enough for a need, so it is tied to a purpose, whereas plentiful describes sheer quantity.
- copious
- Copious is formal and usually describes things like notes, tears or liquid, which plentiful rarely does.
- bountiful
- Bountiful is more poetic and suggests generous natural gifts, such as a harvest.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: plentiful or plenty?
plentiful vs plenty
Plenty is a noun or quantifier used with of (plenty of time), while plentiful is an adjective that describes the thing itself (time was plentiful).
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Plentiful is an adjective and follows be. Plenty cannot replace it directly (it needs of), and the other options are not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plentiful”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.