May

Pronunciation

• enPR: mā, IPA: /meɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪ

From Old English magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą, from Proto-Indo-European *magʰ, *megʰ. Cognate with Dutch mogen, Low German mægen, German mögen, Swedish må, Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.

Full definition of may

Verb

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over). 8th-17th c.
2. (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can. 8th-17th c.
• 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.6:But many times ... we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
3. (intransitive, poetic) To be able to go. from 9th c.
• 1600, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, III.3:O weary night, O long and tedious night,
  Abate thy houres, shine comforts from the East,
  That I may backe to Athens by day-light ....
4. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. from 9th c.
   you may smoke outside;  may I sit there?
5. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly. from 13th c.
• 2011, October 1, Phil Dawkes, Sunderland 2-2 West Brom, The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.
• 2013-07-06, The rise of smart beta, Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.
6. he may be lying;  Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box
7. (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). from 16th c.
• 1974, Bob Dylan, Forever Young (Bob Dylan song)May God bless and keep you always / May your wishes all come true / May you always do for others / And let others do for you / May you build a ladder to the stars / And climb on every rung / May you stay forever young
8. may you win;  may the weather be sunny
9. Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
• PriorHow old may Phillis be, you ask.

Usage notes

May is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of to be allowed to are used to replace these missing tenses.

The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of may is might

The present tense is negated as may not, which can be contracted to mayn't, although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as might not, which can be contracted to mightn't.

May has archaic second-person singular present indicative forms mayest and mayst.

Usage of this word in the sense of possibly is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense have permission to. These speakers and writers prefer to use the word might instead.

Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word may, as in Have a great day! rather than May you have a great day.

Synonyms

• (have permission to) can, could, might
• (possibly) could, might
• (in subjunctive) might

Derived terms

French mai, so called because it blossoms in May.

Noun

1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.

Derived terms

• Italian may
• mayhaw

Verb

1. To gather may.
• 1922, A. E. Housman, , VII, lines 1-2In valleys green and still
  Where lovers wander maying

Anagrams

• Amy, MYA, Mya, mya, yam