I. may 1 S1 W1 /meɪ/ BrE AmE modal verb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: mæg ]
1 . POSSIBILITY if something may happen or may be true, there is a possibility that it will happen or be true but this is not certain SYN might :
I may be late, so don’t wait for me.
Some chemicals may cause environmental damage.
There may not be enough money to pay for the repairs.
Well, I may have been wrong.
They may have called while you were out.
It may be that Minoan ships were built and repaired here.
Your job may well involve some travelling (=it is fairly likely) .
2 . POSSIBLE TO DO SOMETHING if something may be done, completed etc in a particular way, that is how it is possible to do it SYN can :
The problem may be solved in a number of different ways.
3 . ALLOWED
a) used to say that someone is allowed to do something SYN can :
Thank you. You may go now.
There is a set of rules to show what members may and may not do.
You may sit down or stand, just as you wish.
No one may own more than 10% of the shares.
b) may I/we ...? spoken formal used to ask politely for permission to do something:
May I come in and wait?
May we use your office for a few minutes?
4 . IN POLITE EXPRESSIONS spoken formal used to say, ask, or suggest something in a polite way:
All these things, if I may say so, are entirely irrelevant.
Who, may I ask, is Wotherspoon?
May I suggest that you consider the matter further before taking any action.
5 . ALTHOUGH used to say that even though one thing is true, something else which seems very different is also true:
I may be slow, but at least I don’t make stupid mistakes.
Although this may sound like a simple process, great care is needed.
Strange as it may seem, I always felt I belonged here.
6 . may as well spoken used to suggest that someone should do something, because there is no good reason to do anything else SYN might as well :
If there’s nothing more to do, we may as well go to bed.
You may as well tell us now – we’ll find out sooner or later.
7 . may somebody/something do something formal used to express a wish or hope:
We pray for those who died – may they rest in peace.
It is a fine tradition and long may it continue!
8 . PURPOSE formal used after ‘so that’ or ‘in order that’ to say that someone does something in order to make something else possible:
The hero sacrifices his life so that his friend may live.
9 . be that as it may formal in spite of what you have just mentioned:
Perhaps there isn’t one single system that will work for everyone. Be that as it may, we all need order in our lives.
10 . may well used to say that there is a good reason for a reaction, question, or feeling:
‘What’s all the noise?’ ‘You may well ask.’
• • •
GRAMMAR
May is not used in questions about possible events or situations. Use might instead:
▪
Might there be problems?
may have, might have
To say that it is possible that something happened, you can use may have or might have :
▪
She may have been executed.
▪
He might have been misquoted.
If something was possible, but did not in fact happen, you can use might have , but not may have :
▪
Had I been more perceptive, I might have noticed that she was not happy.
II. may 2 BrE AmE noun [uncountable] British English
the white or pink flowers of the ↑ hawthorn