amount

amount
amount, number
Amount is normally used with uncountable nouns (i.e. nouns which have no plural) to mean ‘quantity’ (e.g. a reasonable amount of forgiveness, glue, resistance, straw, etc.), and number with plural nouns (e.g. a certain number of boys, houses, jobs, etc.). Amount, however, is fast breaking into the territory of number, especially when the following plural noun is regarded as an aggregate or collection. Examples:

• Fame had magnified the amount of the forces —1849 in OED

• I have any amount of letters for you —George Bernard Shaw, 1893

• I expect you get a fair amount of road accidents on these winding roads —Rachel Billington, 1988

• Billy's had a tremendous amount of problems —T. McGuane, AmE 1989

• Booksellers have less and less space for the amount of books that are being published —The Author, 1990

• The amount of bulbs she would find between the stones next spring —A. Huth, 1991.

Note that quantity can be used with all types of nouns (a large quantity of parcels / a small quantity of sugar).

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • amount — I (quantity) noun aggregate, bulk, count, extent, magnitude, mass, measure, measurement, net quantity, number, numeration, strength, substance, sum, summa, total, whole associated concepts: amount of evidence, amount of loss foreign phrases:… …   Law dictionary

  • Amount — A*mount , n. 1. The sum total of two or more sums or quantities; the aggregate; the whole quantity; a totality; as, the amount of 7 and 9 is 16; the amount of a bill; the amount of this year s revenue. [1913 Webster] 2. The effect, substance,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Amount — A*mount , v. t. To signify; to amount to. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Amount — A*mount , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Amounted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Amounting}.] [OF. amonter to increase, advance, ascend, fr. amont (equiv. to L. ad montem to the mountain) upward, F. amont up the river. See {Mount}, n.] 1. To go up; to ascend. [Obs.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • amount to — index aggregate, comprise, consist, reach Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • amount — ▪ I. amount a‧mount 1 [əˈmaʊnt] noun [countable, uncountable] a quantity of something: • debts that vary in amount • Figures show a big rise in the amount of money in the economy. • You must pay the full amount in advance. • a cheque in… …   Financial and business terms

  • amount — a|mount1 W1S1 [əˈmaunt] n [U and C] 1.) a quantity of something such as time, money, or a substance amount of ▪ They spend equal amounts of time in California and New York. a considerable/large/enormous etc amount ▪ a considerable amount of money …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • amount — 01. You must pay the total [amount] of your tuition before classes start. 02. Kyle will never [amount] to much because he is too lazy and unmotivated. 03. I have written you a check in the [amount] of $200 for my long distance phone calls, and… …   Grammatical examples in English

  • amount — a|mount1 [ ə maunt ] noun count *** a quantity of money: This amount should be paid within two weeks. a. a quantity of something: You only need a small amount. amount of: A computer can store a vast amount of information. A certain amount of… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • amount — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable, copious amounts, enormous, huge, immense, incredible, large, massive, significant, substantial …   Collocations dictionary

  • amount — I. intransitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo French amounter, from amount upward, from a (from Latin ad ) + mont mountain more at mount Date: 14th century 1. a. to be equivalent < acts that amount to treason > b. to reach in kind or …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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