What does copious mean?
Copious is an adjective meaning abundant, plentiful, or existing in large quantities. It describes anything available in generous supply — from copious rainfall and copious harvests to copious notes taken during a meeting. A second sense applies the word to language: copious writing or speech is long, detailed, and rich in words. The term derives from the Latin copiosus, meaning 'abundant', which itself traces back to copia, the Latin word for plenty or abundance that also gives us 'cornucopia' and, more distantly, 'copy'. In tone, copious leans slightly formal but remains broadly positive, suggesting richness rather than excess. It appears most often in academic, scientific, and journalistic prose, where phrases like 'copious evidence' or 'copious amounts' signal thoroughness and magnitude. Its antonyms — scarce, sparse, meager — highlight its core idea: not just presence, but presence in impressive quantity. For writers seeking a precise, elegant way to say 'a lot of', few adjectives serve better than copious.
Abundant in supply or quantity; plentiful.
"Copious rain fell throughout the spring, filling every reservoir."
Large in extent of words or detail; profuse in speech or writing.
"She gave a copious account of her travels, complete with dates and place names."
This sense often shades toward implying verbosity.
"Copious" and "copy" are siblings — both descend from the same Latin word for abundance, which is why taking a copy once meant making a copia of it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of copious
Copious entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from Latin copiōsus, meaning 'abundant' or 'well-supplied'. The root is copia, the classical Latin word for plenty or abundance, famously embodied in the cornucopia, the horn of plenty of myth. From the same stem come 'copy' — originally a duplicate made in abundance — and 'opulent' via related notions of wealth. The adjective has retained its core sense of largeness of quantity for over five centuries.
Related word forms
How copious is actually used
Copious is largely neutral to slightly formal in register and carries a generally positive connotation of generosity or richness. It is especially common in academic and scientific writing — 'copious notes' and 'copious evidence' are near-stock phrases.
Easily confused with copious
Corpulent means fat or bulky (of body), while copious means plentiful or abundant in quantity.