means

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /minz/ UK /miːnz/ See IPA manual

Freq #407

Meanings

1

noun
A method or way of achieving a result.

Email is a quick means of communication.
2

noun
Money or wealth that a person has.

They are a family of considerable means.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a method or way of... way method

2 noun · money or wealth that a... wealth substance

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

means test
an assessment of someone's income or assets to determine eligibility for financial assistance

Noun + noun

Proverbs (6)

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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.

mene Middle English ġemǣne Old English mëen Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# means

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /minz/
**IPA (UK):** /miːnz/
**Frequency rank:** 407

## Meanings
1. A method or way of achieving a result.
2. Money or wealth that a person has.

## Examples
- Email is a quick means of communication.
- They are a family of considerable means.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: mene
- Root: ġemǣne
- Root: mëen

## 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.

## AI 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. In present-day English its meanings include a method or way of achieving a result and money or wealth that a person has. The historical chain runs through mene (Middle English), ġemǣne (Old English), and mëen (Old French).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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