uncountable

Uncountable grains of sand cover the entire beach.

Definition

Adjective:
- Not able to be counted: "uncountable" describes something that cannot be counted because it is too numerous, vast, or indefinite in number.
- In grammar (linguistics): "uncountable" refers to a noun that cannot be used with numbers or the indefinite article "a/an" and does not typically have a plural form; it denotes a substance, concept, or mass rather than discrete items.

Usage Examples

General sense:
- The stars in the sky are uncountable. (There are so many stars that they cannot be individually counted.)
- He has an uncountable number of debts. (The debts are so many that they are impossible to tally.)
Grammatical sense:
- "Water" is an uncountable noun in English. (You cannot say "a water" or "waters" in standard usage; you say "some water.")
- We need to learn which nouns are countable and which are uncountable. (Understanding noun classification is essential for correct grammar.)

Advanced Usage

"Uncountable noun" (also called "mass noun"): A noun that refers to something that cannot be counted as individual units.
- "Information" is an uncountable noun, so we say "a piece of information" instead of "an information." (The noun itself does not have a plural form.)
"Uncountable set" (in mathematics): A set that is infinite and cannot be matched one-to-one with the natural numbers.
- The set of real numbers is uncountable, unlike the set of integers. (This is a technical term in set theory.)

Variants and Related Words

Countable (adj): able to be counted.
- "Apple" is a countable noun; you can say "one apple, two apples." (The opposite of uncountable.)
Count (v): to determine the total number of something.
- She can count the coins in her pocket. (To enumerate.)
Uncountability (n): the quality or state of being uncountable.
- The uncountability of sand grains makes them hard to measure. (The property of being impossible to count.)

Synonyms

Innumerable: too many to be counted (often used poetically or hyperbolically).
- There are innumerable reasons to be grateful. (Very many; countless.)
Countless: too many to be counted.
- She has made countless attempts to succeed. (An extremely large number.)
Immeasurable: too large or extensive to be measured (not limited to counting).
- His love for his family is immeasurable. (Beyond measurement.)

Related Idioms

A number of: used with countable nouns only; not applicable to uncountable nouns.
- A number of books were on the shelf. (Correct with countable nouns.)
An amount of: used with uncountable nouns.
- A large amount of water was spilled. (Correct with uncountable nouns.)

Phrasal Verbs