What does may mean?
May is a modal verb used to communicate possibility, permission, uncertainty, and speculation. In its most common sense, it indicates that something could be true or could happen without asserting that it will: “The train may be late.” It can also grant permission, as in “You may leave now,” although can is more common in informal speech. Writers often use may to qualify claims and avoid sounding categorical, making it especially useful in academic, legal, and journalistic contexts. The word can additionally express a wish or hope, usually in formal or literary language: “May you enjoy many years of health.” Although modern usage often allows may and might to overlap, may can sound somewhat more measured or tentative, while might may convey a possibility that is considered less likely or less desirable. In questions, “May I?” is the conventional polite form of asking permission.
modal verbUsed to express possibility, permission, uncertainty, or a tentative supposition, depending on context. It may also express a wish or hope, especially in formal or literary usage.
- Expressing the possibility that something is true or will happen.
- Giving permission to do something.
- Expressing uncertainty about a fact, explanation, or outcome.
- Introducing a tentative or speculative statement, often in formal writing.
- Expressing a wish, hope, or blessing, especially in literary or ceremonial contexts.
"The road may be closed after heavy snow, so we should check before leaving."
"Heavy rain may delay the ceremony, although the organizers are still hopeful."
"May I borrow your pen for a moment?"
One little modal can turn a plain statement into a possibility, a permission, or even a hopeful wish.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does may come from?
May comes from Old English mæg, an inherited Germanic modal verb used for possibility and permission. It is cognate with the German mag and Dutch mogen, which can similarly express ability or permission. Over time, English gradually separated may as the customary polite permission form from could and might as increasingly common alternatives for possibility.
How may is actually used
In everyday English, may and might are often interchangeable when expressing possibility, with may sometimes suggesting a more cautious or tentative judgment. May is also widely used in formal writing to make tentative claims. The permission sense is generally more formal than the informal use of can.
Easily confused with may
Both can express possibility, but may often offers more measured or tentative uncertainty, while might can also express a stronger, often less realistic possibility.