amongst
Definition
- Preposition: "Amongst" is a variant of "among," meaning in the midst of, surrounded by, or included in a group of people or things. It indicates a position within a larger collection or a distribution among multiple entities.
Usage Examples
- (She felt at ease while surrounded by her friends.)
- (The treasure was concealed within a group of rocks.)
- (He is regarded as one of the top individuals within his peer group.)
Advanced Usage
- "amongst ourselves": within a specific group, excluding outsiders.
- We discussed the matter privately amongst ourselves. (We talked about it only within our group, not with others.)
- "amongst other things": used to indicate one item in a list of multiple items.
- The report included, amongst other things, a detailed budget analysis. (The report contained a budget analysis as part of a larger set of information.)
Variants and Related Words
- Among (prep): the standard and more common form, meaning the same as "amongst."
- They divided the cake among the children. (They split the cake and gave pieces to each child.)
- Amongst is considered slightly more formal or archaic in modern English, but both are interchangeable.
Synonyms
- Amid: in the middle of; surrounded by.
- The house stood amid the trees. (The house was located in the middle of a group of trees.)
- Between: typically used for two entities, but sometimes confused with "amongst" for more than two.
- She sat between her two sisters. (She was positioned with one sister on each side.)
Related Idioms
- "fall amongst thieves": to encounter dangerous or dishonest people.
- The traveler fell amongst thieves on the road. (The traveler was robbed or attacked by criminals.)
- "put the cat amongst the pigeons": to cause trouble or upset a calm situation.
- His announcement put the cat amongst the pigeons at the meeting. (His news caused a lot of commotion and disagreement.)
Phrasal Verbs (Not applicable as "amongst" is a preposition, not part of a phrasal verb structure)