Mostly vs Many - What's the difference?
mostly | many |
Mainly or chiefly; for the most part; usually, generally, on the whole.
*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)
, title= (obsolete) To the greatest extent; most.
* 1817 , , Northanger Abbey , [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mDUbXHRIbRIC&dq=northanger+abbey+search+austen&pg=PP1&ots=EDH1Xu36el&sig=J7fVUwXmydAD36S8oLTWv2-ICNk&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA163,M1]:
An indefinite large number of.
:
*Bible, (w) xvii.4:
*:Thou shalt be a father of many nations.
*
*:The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them,.
*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
, title= A collective mass of people.
An indefinite large number of people or things.
* {{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
, chapter=4, title= A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.
A considerable number.
As an adverb mostly
is mainly or chiefly; for the most part; usually, generally, on the whole.As a determiner many is
an indefinite large number of.As a pronoun many is
a collective mass of people.As a noun many is
a multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.mostly
English
Alternative forms
* mostlie (obsolete) * moastly (obsolete)Adverb
(-)A punch in the gut, passage=Mostly , the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.}}
- She was to be their chosen visitor, she was to be for weeks under the same roof with the person whose society she mostly prized [...]!
Synonyms
* (mainly or chiefly) by and large, in the main, more often than notmany
English
(wikipedia many)Determiner
The rise of smart beta, passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}
Usage notes
Many'' is used with plural nouns only (except in the combination many a). Its singular counterpart is much, which is used with uncountable nouns. ''Many'' and ''much merge in the comparison forms, which are more and most for both determiners.Antonyms
* fewPronoun
(English Pronouns)A Cuckoo in the Nest, passage=By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.}}