name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
means
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Australian, New-Zealand, Received-Pronunciation: /miːnz/
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Canada, General-American: /minz/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːnz
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CMU ARPABET: M IY1 N Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
An unincorporated community in Menifee County, Kentucky, United States.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
plural of mean
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
An instrument or condition to achieve a result.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- She treated him as a means to an end.
- A car is a means of transport.
- There are two means of egress out of the building.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Financial resources; wealth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-only, uncountable
Examples
- a person of means; independent means
- He was living beyond his means.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
Financial resources; wealth.
Substantial wealth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-only, uncountable
Examples
- She is a woman of means.
- Hotels that are so priced that only people of means can stay.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
third-person singular simple present indicative of mean
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
how a result is obtained or an end is achieved
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a means of control
- an example is the best agency of instruction
- the true way to success
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: agency, way
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: implementation, effectuation
Narrower terms: dint, escape, fast track, instrument, tool, road, stepping stone, expedient, desperate measure, open sesame, salvation, tooth, voice, wings
noun
Meaning 9
an instrumentality for accomplishing some end
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: instrumentality, instrumentation
noun
Meaning 10
considerable capital (wealth or income)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he is a man of means
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: substance
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: capital
Narrower terms: pocketbook, wherewithal
History
Etymology
Various origins: * Reduced form of McMeans, a surname of Irish origin. * Habitational surname from the villages of East and West Meon, in Hampshire. * A nickname from Middle English mene (“inferior in rank”), which is from Old English ġemǣne (“common, general”), or Middle English mene (“moderate in behaviour”), which is from Old French mëen, mean.
From mean (“method or course of action used to achieve some result”). Compare French moyens, German Mittel.
Across languages
Translations
68 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: middel — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Armenian: հնար (hnar) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Belarusian: спо́саб (spósab) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Belarusian: сро́дак (sródak) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Bengali: আওকাত (aōkat) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Bulgarian: спо́соб (spósob) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Bulgarian: сре́дство (srédstvo) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Catalan: mitjà — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Chinese Mandarin: 方法 (fāngfǎ) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Danish: middel — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Dutch: middel — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Esperanto: rimedo — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Finnish: väline — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Galician: medio — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Georgian: საშუალება (sašualeba) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Georgian: ხერხი (xerxi) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- German: Mittel — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Greek: μέσο (méso) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Greek: δυνατότητες (dynatótites) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Hebrew: אֶמְצָעִי (emtzai) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Hindi: साधन (sādhan) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Hindi: संसाधन (sansādhan) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Italian: mezzo — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Japanese: 手段 (shudan) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Japanese: 方法 (hōhō) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Khmer: មធ្យោបាយ (matyoubaay) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Korean: 방법 (bangbeop) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Korean: 수단 (sudan) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Latin: īnstrūmentum — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Latin: māchināmen — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Latvian: līdzeklis — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Norwegian Bokmål: middel — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Norwegian Nynorsk: middel — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Polish: medium — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Polish: środki — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Portuguese: meio — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Russian: спо́соб (spósob) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Russian: сре́дство (srédstvo) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Spanish: medio — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Swedish: medel — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Ukrainian: спо́сіб (spósib) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Ukrainian: за́сіб (zásib) — instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
- Bulgarian: бога́тство (bogátstvo) — resources
- Bulgarian: състоя́ние (sǎstojánie) — resources
- Bulgarian: сре́дства (srédstva) — resources
- Czech: prostředky — resources
- Dutch: middelen — resources
- Esperanto: rimedoj — resources
- Finnish: varat — resources
- Finnish: varallisuus — resources
- French: moyens — resources
- German: Mittel — resources
- Hindi: संसाधन (sansādhan) — resources
- Irish: gustal — resources
- Latin: opēs — resources
- Latin: facultātēs — resources
- Latvian: līdzekļi — resources
- Polish: środki — resources
- Romanian: mijloace — resources
- Russian: бога́тство (bogátstvo) — resources
- Russian: состоя́ние (sostojánije) — resources
- Russian: сре́дства (srédstva) — resources
- Spanish: medios — resources
- Telugu: మూలాధారాలు (mūlādhārālu) — resources
- Turkish: kaynak — resources
- Ukrainian: бага́тство (bahátstvo) — resources
- Zulu: icebo — resources
- Zulu: isu — resources
Real reading context