… Shakespeare, whose soul was so copious … Gilbert Highet
b
: profuse or exuberant in words, expression, or style
a copious talker
3
: present in large quantity : taking place on a large scale
copious weeping
copious food and drink
copiouslyadverb
copiousnessnoun
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What's the Difference Between copious, ample, and plentiful?
Copious dates to the 14th century, during the era of English known as Middle English. Like most terms entering the language then, it comes ultimately from Latin, from the word copia, meaning "abundance." (Cornucopia combines this same root with cornu, meaning "horn," to form the phrase "horn of plenty.") Latin copia combines the prefix co- and -op, * ops, meaning "wealth" or "power." (That asterisk means that ops is assumed to have existed or has been reconstructed by means of comparative evidence.) The latter also features in the history of opulent, meaning "wealthy" or "luxurious."
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
Example Sentences
It was no surprise that spin was more copious than ever during the election campaign. Michael Kinsley, Time, 25 Dec. 2000–1 Jan. 2001These pockets of melted rock are rich in silica and release copious amounts of volatile gases that are held under high pressures. Sandra Blakeslee, New York Times, 7 Apr. 1998… travelers grew accustomed to having copious helpings of meat when they visited Quimper's inn. James A. Michener, Texas, 1985The Constants—ignorant, vulgar, and brash—had copious quantities of dumb luck. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Sirens Of Titan, 1959 The storm produced a copious amount of rain. She sat in the front row and took copious notes during the lecture. See More
Recent Examples on the WebThe iPhone already processes at high speeds, takes remarkably clear pictures, offers copious amounts of storage, and fits beautifully in your hand. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 Noe told Robb Report that the distillery has been producing it since 2017 and currently has about 10,000 barrels aging (as well as some experimental versions), along with copious amounts of bourbon and rye. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2022 On that reconstructed staircase, surrounded by green screen and copious amounts of fake blood, the show stages its own interrogation of the trifecta of possibilities that have defined the case and the obsession around it. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 Aug. 2022 The group evolved from the Nusra Front, a jihadist organization that declared its allegiance to Al Qaeda early in the war and distinguished itself by its copious use of suicide bombers against government and civilian targets.New York Times, 6 Apr. 2021 His copious use of film and video footage benefits from his sharp sense of evocative details and vigorous, unromanticized vision. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2021 At times, his bizarre tweets and behavior—exacerbated, reportedly, by copious use of Ambien—have wreaked havoc at Tesla, his signature electric car company. Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 3 Dec. 2020 Sudan's official Foreign Trade Statistics since 2011 consistently list Russia's total gold exports from the country at zero, despite copious evidence of Moscow's extensive dealings in this sector. Nima Elbagir, CNN, 29 July 2022 Indeed, the judge considered copious trial evidence in her decision.New York Times, 29 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin copiosus, from copia abundance, from co- + ops wealth — more at opulent