1
Countless examples
An extremely large number of separate items.
Example
The archive contains myriad accounts of the flood.
myriad
/ˈmɪriəd/ · MIR-ee-uhdadjective or noun
Countless or extremely numerous; a very large number.
Use myriad for a vast and varied number of possibilities, influences, organisms, or details.
What myriad Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Great variety
Many different forms or possibilities.
Example
Urban trees provide myriad ecological benefits.
3
A large number
A noun followed by of in the construction a myriad of.
Example
A myriad of small decisions shaped the final design.
Use myriad Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The archive contains myriad accounts of the flood.
Urban trees provide myriad ecological benefits.
A myriad of small decisions shaped the final design.
Precision Matters
Myriad overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
myriad
vs.Emphasises number and often variety.
copious
Emphasises abundant quantity.
myriad
vs.Means extremely numerous.
ubiquitous
Means present everywhere.
myriad
vs.Signals a vast number.
paucity
Signals scarcity—the contrast.
myriad
vs.Describes number, not individual size.
infinitesimal
Describes an extremely small amount or magnitude.
Test myriad in Context
The sentence emphasises an extremely large number of additional variables.
1
Because seed shape, soil chemistry, rainfall, and a ___ other variables can affect germination, the researchers controlled conditions carefully.