INDEX:
1. most of an amount, group, or thing
2. more than anyone or anything else
3. the largest amount possible
4. when most people share a particular opinion
5. when there is much more of one type than of other types
6. most often
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ LEAST
see also
↑ MORE
↑ MAIN
↑ IN GENERAL
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1. most of an amount, group, or thing
▷ most /məʊst/ [quantifier]
the largest number of people or things, or the largest part of something :
▪ What most people want is a peaceful life.
▪ Most restaurants open at 7.
▪ Most evenings we just stay in and watch TV.
▪ Most research suggests that health is related to social class.
most of
▪ Most of the people I spoke to were very worried.
▪ Alex spent most of his allowance on books.
▪ I’ve lived here most of my life, so I know the area pretty well.
▷ almost all/nearly all /ˌɔːlməʊst ˈɔːl, ˌnɪəʳli ˈɔːl/ [quantifier]
▪ He likes almost all kinds of popular music.
▪ We got nearly all our food from the farm.
▪ The bed occupied nearly all the space in the room.
almost all/nearly all of
▪ Nearly all of my clothes are too small now.
▪ Almost all of the world’s tropical forests are in developing countries.
▷ the/a majority /ðə, ə məˈdʒɒrə̇tiǁ-məˈdʒɔː-/ [quantifier]
more than half of the people or things in a large group :
▪ A poll of Democrats shows that a majority support the President.
the/a majority of
▪ In June the majority of our students will be taking examinations.
▪ They claim their campaign is supported by a majority of residents.
the vast/great/overwhelming majority
far more than half
▪ The great majority of accidents in the Alps occur while climbers are coming down.
▪ an education policy that will please the vast majority of parents
▷ the bulk of /ðə ˈbʌlk ɒv/ [quantifier]
most of a large amount or number of something :
▪ Throughout the Middle Ages, the bulk of the population lived in the country rather than in towns.
▪ The bulk of the charity’s income comes from private donations.
▷ the better part of/best part of /ðə ˌbetəʳ ˈpɑːʳt ɒv, ˌbest ˈpɑːʳt ɒv/ [quantifier]
most of a period of time or of a distance, especially when the time or distance is too long :
▪ It was the best part of a mile to the farm.
▪ It’ll probably take the best part of a week to sort it out.
▪ I expect the whole procedure to take the better part of a morning.
▷ the lion’s share /ðə ˈlaɪenz ˌʃeəʳ/ [noun phrase]
the biggest part of something valuable or good that is taken by one person, group, or organization, so that others get less :
▪ Sarah only ate a few bites of the dessert, so I got the lion’s share.
the lion’s share of
▪ Why should the state get the lion’s share of people’s money?
▪ His company currently has the lion’s share of the market.
2. more than anyone or anything else
▷ most /məʊst/ [adverb]
more than anything else - use this especially to talk about something that you like, want, need, or worry about more than anything else :
▪ The part we enjoyed most was the trip to the Grand Canyon.
▪ What worries me most is the effect the divorce is having on the children.
most of all
much more than anything else
▪ What the people here need most of all is food and clean water.
▷ the most /ðə ˈməʊst/ [quantifier]
a larger amount or number than anyone or anything else :
▪ In a fair tax system those who earn the most should pay the most.
▪ The player who scores the most points wins.
▪ Which machine uses the most electricity?
3. the largest amount possible
▷ maximum /ˈmæksɪməm, ˈmæksəməm/ [adjective]
the maximum amount of something is the largest amount that is possible or allowed :
▪ Travelling at its maximum speed of 186 mph, the train reached Paris in less than two hours.
▪ We want our message to reach the maximum number of people.
▪ Both men are facing a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
▪ We’ll show you how to arrange the furniture in your office to make maximum use of the space available.
maximum [singular noun]
▪ Thirty students per class is the maximum.
maximum of
▪ Tourists can stay up to a maximum of 90 days.
▷ the most /ðə ˈməʊst/ [singular noun]
the largest amount that is possible :
▪ I’m afraid £500 is the most I can offer you.
▪ The most you can hope to achieve is a 10% increase in production.
▷ top /tɒpǁtɑːp/ [adjective only before noun]
a top speed, price, salary etc is the highest speed, price etc that is possible or is paid :
▪ It’s Hyundai’s fastest car yet, with a top speed of 121 mph.
▪ The top price paid was $1,200,000 for a print by Degas.
4. when most people share a particular opinion
▷ generally /ˈdʒen ə rəli/ [adverb]
something that is generally believed is believed by most people :
▪ His first year as President was generally regarded as a success.
▪ It is now generally accepted that the so-called "Hitler Diaries’ were forgeries.
general [adjective]
▪ There is a general feeling most people feel that the country lacks moral leadership.
▷ broad /brɔːd/ [adjective only before noun]
broad agreement/consensus/acceptance
agreement among most people about something :
▪ There was broad agreement on the issue of equal pay for women.
▪ He had created a broad consensus among different groups of Americans.
5. when there is much more of one type than of other types
▷ mostly/mainly/largely /ˈməʊstli, ˈmeɪnli, ˈlɑːʳdʒli/ [adverb]
▪ Apart from the Nile valley, Egypt is mostly desert.
▪ I used to read a lot of poetry, mainly love poetry.
▪ The new immigrants were mainly from Southern Europe.
▪ The surface of Mercury seems to consist largely of dust.
▷ predominantly /prɪˈdɒmɪnəntli, prɪˈdɒmənəntliǁ-ˈdɑː-/ [adverb]
if something, especially a group of people, is predominantly of a particular type, most of it is of that type :
▪ The character Shylock is a Jew living in a predominantly Christian society.
▪ As a civil engineer, Susan will be competing in a predominantly male profession.
▪ Our economy is predominantly capitalist.
▷ predominate /prɪˈdɒmɪneɪt, prɪˈdɒməneɪtǁ-ˈdɑː-/ [intransitive verb] formal
if people or things of a particular type predominate in a place or situation, they are present in greater numbers than other types of people or things :
▪ Dairy farms predominate in Sussex.
▪ In the summer, blue and pink flowers predominate, but there are white flowers, too, for contrast.
▷ be in the majority /biː ɪn ðə məˈdʒɒrə̇tiǁ-məˈdʒɔː-/ [verb phrase]
if people of a particular kind are in the majority in an organization or group, they form the largest part of it :
▪ The number of women on the committee has grown steadily and now they are in the majority.
▷ a preponderance of /ə prɪˈpɒnd ə rəns ɒvǁ-ˈpɑːn-/ [quantifier] formal
if there is a preponderance of people or things of a particular type in a group, most of the people or things in the group are of that type - used especially when the group is being studied :
▪ At some universities, there is a preponderance of older lecturers.
▪ They chose to investigate reasons for the preponderance of large families among the poor and ill-educated.
6. most often
▷ mostly/mainly /ˈməʊstli, ˈmeɪnli/ [adverb]
use this to say what someone does most, or who does something most :
▪ We eat mostly Italian food.
▪ She has to travel abroad a lot, mostly to Spain and France.
▪ a singer whose records are bought mainly by teenage girls
▷ most of the time /ˈməʊst əv ðə ˌtaɪm/ [adverb]
for almost all of the time :
▪ Most of the time at work I just answer the phone and type letters.
▪ This place is really busy most of the time.
▷ in most cases /ɪn ˈməʊst ˌkeɪsə̇z/ [adverb]
used when something happens more than anything else :
▪ In most cases the system that we have works very well.
▪ The airline received about 500 complaints last year. In most cases these concerned delays and cancellations.