among

among — preposition

1. with people or things on every side, so that you are positioned within them rath

1.prepositionB1
Definition

with people or things on every side, so that you are positioned within them rather than outside.

Example

Renata stood among the tall pine trees and listened to the wind.

among + plural noun (physical surroundings)

Rashida searched for her keys among the books on her desk.

among + objects (looking inside a group)

Common collocations
  • hidden among
  • lost among
  • stand among
  • sit among the trees
Synonyms
  • amid

    more formal or literary; often used with mass nouns like 'amid the noise'.

  • amidst

    literary variant of 'amid'; rarely used in everyday speech.

  • surrounded by

    longer phrase; emphasises the encircling effect more strongly.

Antonyms
  • outside

    outside the group rather than within it.

  • apart from

    separated from the surrounding people or things.

Grammar Patterns

among + plural noun phrase

Usage Note

Subject is usually surrounded on multiple sides; for two items only, use 'between' instead. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about physical or visual location, while sense 2 is about belonging to a group.

Common Mistakes

She sat among her two sisters.
She sat between her two sisters.
use 'between' for exactly two items.
The cat hid among the chair.
The cat hid among the chairs.
'among' needs a plural or collective noun.

2. counted as one member of a wider set whose members share a quality, ranking, or

2.prepositionA2
Definition

counted as one member of a wider set whose members share a quality, ranking, or situation.

Example

Linnea is among the best students in her chemistry class this year.

be + among the + superlative

Heart disease remains among the top three killers of older adults in Taiwan.

remain + among the + ranked group

Common collocations
  • among the most
  • among the first
  • popular among
  • common among
  • rare among
Synonyms
  • in the ranks of

    more formal; emphasises being counted within a defined group.

  • one of

    simpler everyday alternative; structure is 'one of the best students'.

  • amongst

    British variant; identical meaning, slightly more formal feel.

Antonyms
  • outside

    not counted as a member of the group.

Grammar Patterns

among + plural noun (set of members)

Usage Note

Frequently followed by 'the' + a superlative or a defined group ('among the first', 'among the best'). Distinguish from sense 1: here 'among' signals membership or shared characteristics, not physical location.

Common Mistakes

He is among popular with teenagers.
He is popular among teenagers.
the adjective comes before 'among', not after.
Football is among the most popular sport.
Football is among the most popular sports.
the noun after 'among the most' must be plural.

3. giving a portion to each member of a set with at least three people or things, s

3.prepositionC1
Definition

giving a portion to each member of a set with at least three people or things, so that everyone receives a share.

Example

Grandfather divided his savings among his five grandchildren before he died.

divide + object + among + group

The teacher shared the snacks among the children at the picnic.

share + object + among + recipients

Common collocations
  • divide among
  • share among
  • split among
  • distribute among
  • equally among
Synonyms
  • between

    use for two recipients only; 'among' for three or more.

  • across

    emphasises spreading widely over a group; less about equal shares.

Antonyms
  • to one

    given to a single person rather than divided.

Grammar Patterns

divide / share / split + among + plural noun

Usage Note

Only used when there are three or more recipients; for two recipients use 'between'. Verb is typically 'divide', 'share', 'split', or 'distribute'.

Common Mistakes

He split the cake among his two sons.
He split the cake between his two sons.
use 'between' when there are exactly two parties.
The money was divided among each child.
The money was divided among the children.
'among' takes a plural object, not 'each'.

4. used to name a few items as examples and hint that there are other unnamed ones

4.prepositionB2
Definition

used to name a few items as examples and hint that there are other unnamed ones too.

Example

The exhibition includes works by Picasso and Matisse, among other famous artists.

among other + plural noun (open-ended list)

Dr. Greta studies tigers, lions, and leopards, among many endangered animals.

list + among many + plural noun

Common collocations
  • among other things
  • among others
  • among many
  • among countless
Synonyms
  • including

    more direct; lacks the 'and there are more' suggestion of 'among others'.

  • besides

    in addition to; usually placed differently in the sentence.

Grammar Patterns

among + noun phrase (often introducing examples)

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed phrases 'among other things', 'among others', or 'among many'. Signals to the reader that the named items are only a partial list.

Common Mistakes

She bought apples, among other thing.
She bought apples, among other things.
'thing' must be plural after 'among other'.
I met John among others people.
I met John, among others.
'among others' stands alone; do not add another noun.

5. shared only by the people in a particular group and kept private from anyone out

5.prepositionC1
Definition

shared only by the people in a particular group and kept private from anyone outside it.

Example

The sisters argued among themselves about who should pay for dinner.

argue / talk + among + reflexive pronoun

Let's keep this story among ourselves until the police finish their work.

keep + something + among ourselves (privacy)

Common collocations
  • among ourselves
  • among themselves
  • argue among themselves
  • keep it among
Synonyms
  • between ourselves

    very similar; 'between ourselves' often signals a secret about to be told.

  • in private

    focuses on no outsiders being present, not on the group sharing.

Antonyms
  • publicly

    shared openly with everyone outside the group.

Grammar Patterns

among + reflexive pronoun (ourselves / themselves)

Usage Note

Only used with reflexive pronouns ('ourselves', 'yourselves', 'themselves'). Signals that whatever is happening stays inside the named group; outsiders are excluded.

Common Mistakes

They discussed the plan among them.
They discussed the plan among themselves.
use the reflexive form when the group acts on itself.
Keep it among us only.
Keep it among ourselves.
the standard form is the reflexive 'ourselves'.

Word family

  • amongst
    prepositionB2
  • amid
    prepositionB2
  • amidst
    prepositionC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: preposition/2

All four prepositions place something inside a group, but they differ in how many members the group has and how formal the writing feels. 'Among' is the everyday choice when three or more people or things are involved, as in 'Linnea is among the top students.' 'Between' is the right choice when only two parties are involved, or when each member of a larger group is being treated individually ('an agreement between the five countries'). 'Amid' is more formal or literary and often appears with uncountable nouns describing situations, such as 'amid growing concern'. 'Amongst' is a British variant of 'among' with the same meaning but a slightly more old-fashioned tone, so most modern writers prefer 'among'. Quick test: count the items, then check the register before choosing.

among ↗between ↗amid ↗amongst

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • among other things
  • among others
  • among themselves
  • among the first
  • among the best
  • popular among
  • common among

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

'Among' comes from the Old English phrase 'on gemang', meaning 'in a crowd' or 'in a mingling'. The second part, 'gemang', is related to the verb 'mingle', so the original idea was of a person standing inside a mixed group of people. Over time the two parts fused into one word and the final '-st' form, 'amongst', appeared in Middle English by analogy with words like 'against'. Today both forms exist, but 'among' is far more common in everyday writing on both sides of the Atlantic.