Many

Many , noun

A retinue of servants; a household. [Obsolete] — Chaucer

Many , adjective and pronoun

[Old English mani, moni, Anglo-Saxon manig, manig, monig; akin to Dutch menig, Old Saxon & Old High German manag, German manch, Danish mange, Swedish månge, Gothic manags, OSlav. mnog', Russ. mnogii; compare Icelandic margr, Prov. English mort. r103.]

[It has no variation to express degrees of comparison; more and most, which are used for the comparative and superlative degrees, are from a different root.]

Consisting of a great number; numerous; not few.

Thou shalt be a father of many nations. — Gen. xvii. 4

Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. — 1 Cor. i. 26

Many is freely prefixed to participles, forming compounds which need no special explanation; as, many-angled, many-celled, many-eyed, many-footed, many-handed, many-leaved, many-lettered, many-named, many-peopled, many-petaled, many-seeded, many-syllabled (polysyllabic), many-tongued, many-voiced, many-wived, and the like. In such usage it is equivalent to multi. Comparison is often expressed by many with as or so. “As many as were willing hearted... brought bracelets.” Exod. xxxv. 22. “So many laws argue so many sins.” Milton. Many stands with a singular substantive with a or an.

Collocations (4)

Many a , a large number taken distributively; each one of many. For thy sake have I shed many a tear. — Shakespeare Full many a gem of purest ray serene. — Gray

Many one , many a one; many persons. — Bk. of Com. Prayer

The many , the majority; -- opposed to the few. See Many, n.

Too many , too numerous; hence, too powerful; as, they are too many for us. — L'Estrange

Many , noun

[Anglo-Saxon menigeo, menigo, menio, multitude; akin to German menge, Old High German managī, menigī, Gothic managei. See Many, a.]

The populace; the common people; the majority of people, or of a community.

After him the rascal many ran. — Spenser

A large or considerable number.

A many of our bodies shall no doubt Find native graves. — Shakespeare

Seeing a great many in rich gowns. — Addison

It will be concluded by many that he lived like an honest man. — Fielding

He is liable to a great many inconveniences. — Tillotson

In this sense, many is connected immediately with another substantive (without of) to show of what the many consists; as, a good many [of] people think so.