Merriam - Webster Word of the day *myriad* one of my favorite words

myriad
1 of 2
noun
myr·​i·​ad ˈmir-ē-əd
Synonyms of myriad
1
: ten thousand
2
: a great number
a myriad of ideas
Is myriad a noun?: Usage Guide

Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it.

myriad
2 of 2
adjective
1
: innumerable
those myriad problems
also : both numerous and diverse
myriad topics
2
: having innumerable aspects or elements
the myriad activity of the new land—
Meridel Le Sueur
Did you know?

You don’t need ten thousand justifications to use myriad as a noun, only one: with more than 400 years of usage history behind it, the noun myriad, as in the phrase “a myriad of,” is a well-established and respectable member of the English language. Still, we understand that “myriad of” raises the hackles of myriad folks who were taught at one point or another that myriad is only to be used as an adjective, and that phrases like “a myriad of emailers vexed about myriad” should be shunned in favor of “myriad emailers vexed about myriad.” Now, to each their own lexical peeves and pleasures, but let it be known that myriad entered the English language in the mid-1500s as a noun, and since its introduction has been used in the senses of “ten thousand,” “a set of ten thousand,” “an immense or indefinitely large number,” and “a great multitude”; furthermore, it has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton, Thoreau, Twain, and DuBois—no slouches when it comes to wielding words. Myriad the adjective is about 200 years younger, but both continue to enjoy wide use today.
Synonyms

Noun

   abundance
   barrel
   basketful
   boatload
   bucket
   bunch
   bundle
   bushel
   carload
   chunk
   deal
   dozen
   fistful
   gobs
   good deal
   heap
   hundred
   lashings [chiefly British]
   lashins
   loads
   lot
   mass
   mess
   mountain
   much
   multiplicity
   oodles
   pack
   passel
   peck
   pile
   plateful
   plenitude
   plentitude
   plenty
   pot
   potful
   profusion
   quantity
   raft
   reams
   scads
   sheaf
   shipload
   sight
   slew
   spate
   stack
   store
   ton
   truckload
   volume
   wad
   wealth
   yard

Adjective

   divers
   manifold
   multifarious

Example Sentences
Noun Mr. McCullough hails Adams for being uncannily prescient … foreseeing a myriad of developments, from the difficulty of defeating the British … to the divisive consequences of slavery. —
Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 22 May 2001
Sectarian Protestantism reinforced both American individualism and the tendency of the society to be self-organizing in a myriad of voluntary associations and communities. — Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999
Out in the barrios, under the nipa palms, he listened to the myriads of humming cicadas and the call of the geckos. —
Nina FitzPatrick, Fables of the Irish Intelligentsia, 1991
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Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Shop Now 3 Basil A delicious addition to a myriad of dishes including salads, pasta, and pizza, basil is an essential herb for any kitchen. —
Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 4 Aug. 2023 Over the centuries, many observers hypothesized that the Milky Way’s soft luminescence was the collective glow from myriads of stars that were too faint and close together in the sky to be individually distinguished. —
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'myriad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Greek myriad-, myrias, from myrioi countless, ten thousand
First Known Use

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of myriad was in 1555
See more words from the same year
Articles Related to myriad
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C'mon, Of Course 'Myriad' Is a Noun

Some say it's just an adjective, but we say no


Dictionary Entries Near myriad

myriacanthous

myriad

myriadfold


Cite this Entry
Style

“Myriad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myriad. Accessed 27 Aug. 2023.



Kids Definition

myriad
1 of 2 noun
myr·​i·​ad ˈmir-ē-əd
1
: ten thousand
2
: a large but not specified or counted number
myriads of stars

myriad
2 of 2 adjective
: extremely numerous
the myriad grains of sand on a beach
More from Merriam-Webster on myriad

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Britannica English: Translation of myriad for Arabic Speakers