The meaning of MOST is greatest in quantity, extent, or degree. How to use most in a sentence. Can most be used in place of almost?: Usage Guide.

You use most to refer to the majority of a group of things or people or the largest part of something. Most of the houses in the capital don't have piped water.

The most is the superlative form of many, much. We use the most with different classes of words. …

The adverb most, a shortened form of almost, is far from being either a recent development or an Americanism. It goes back to the 16th century in England, where it is now principally a dialect form.

Nov 23, 2025 · most (not comparable) Forms the superlative of many adjectives. antonym quotations Antonym: least This is the most important example. Correctness is most important.

You use most or most of to talk about the majority of a group of things or people, or the largest part of something. You use most in front of a plural noun which does not have a determiner, such as 'the' or …

There are 38 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word most, 15 of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.