means
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means¹
- /miːnz/ Australia, New Zealand, UK
- /minz/ Canada, US
Rhymes with -iːnz
Where it comes from
From mean (“method or course of action used to achieve some result”). Compare French moyens, German Mittel.
noun
- plural of mean
noun means
-
An instrument or condition to achieve a result.
She treated him as a means to an end.
Similar: wherewithal
noun
- Financial resources; wealth. a person of means; independent means
- Substantial wealth. She is a woman of means.
verb
- third-person singular simple present indicative of mean
Means²
Where it comes from
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.
proper noun Meanses
- A surname.
- An unincorporated community in Menifee County, Kentucky, United States.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: substance, agency, way, instrumentality, comes, instrument, mode, lines, say, format, style, pattern, saying, signify, tell, form
Translations
Every language
noun instrument or condition for attaining a purpose
| Español | medio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 방법 bangbeop, 수단 sudan |
| 日本語 | 手段 shudan, 方法 hōhō |
| 中文 | 方法 fāngfǎ |
| हिन्दी | साधन sādhan, संसाधन sansādhan |
| Português | meio |
| Deutsch | Mittel |
| Italiano | mezzo |
| Ελληνικά | μέσο méso, δυνατότητες dynatótites |
| Русский | спо́соб spósob, сре́дство srédstvo |
| עברית | אֶמְצָעִי emtzai |
noun resources
| Español | medios |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | संसाधन sansādhan |
| Français | moyens |
| Deutsch | Mittel |
| Română | mijloace |
| Русский | бога́тство bogátstvo, состоя́ние sostojánije, сре́дства srédstva |
Talk about this word "means." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/means. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. means. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/means "means." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/means.Cite this
@misc{means_2026,
title = {means},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/means},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
