Word meaning many times

The phrase “many a times” comes up every now and then in English. It’s not the most famous saying, but it still gets around. It’s important to know whether it’s correct and what better ways there are to say it if it isn’t.

“Many a times” is not correct, though some people use it in the more colloquial and informal sense. The correct form is “many a time.” Using “a” in the middle of the phrase sets “time” up to be singular. Using “times” instead is plural, which is why it’s incorrect.

The confusion likely comes from including “many” in the phrase. Typically, when we use “many” in writing, we’re talking about an object in the plural sense:

• Many apples
• Many people
• Many times

However, if we include “a” after “many,” it turns the object back into the singular form.

• Many an apple
• Many a person
• Many a time

This is most likely why people think “many a times” is correct even though it simply doesn’t work. Either way, it’s an archaic saying that you’ll very rarely find a suitable use for, but it still helps to understand what it means.

Should I Use “Many A Time” Instead Of “Many A Times”?

We’ve already talked about which phrase is correct (“many a time”). Now, let’s show you the statistics to come along with it, as long as why you should use it.

According to this graph, “many a time” is by far the most popular choice. As you can see, “many a times” gets some use, but it’s barely enough to get it off the baseline. Also, the phrase “many a time” was most popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Since those dates, “many a time” has fallen out of favor. Not many people still use it today. You should use “many a time” instead of “many a times” in all cases.

What Does “Many A Time” Mean?

We’ve spoken a lot about which is the correct phrase, but we’ve yet to tell you what it means. We don’t want to keep writing without explaining the meaning first!

“Many a time” means “many times” or “a lot.” We use it when we want to talk about something that we’ve done many times before.

As you can see, “many times” is a lot more popular today as a phrase than “many a time.” That’s why it’s so rarely used. The idiom of “a time” simply doesn’t hold up to the simplicity that comes with saying “many times.”

As language evolves, we like to keep everything as streamlined and easy-to-follow as possible. For that reason, if we’re offered the choice between phrases like “many a time” or “many times,” we’ll always take the latter.

Examples Of How To Use “Many A Time” In A Sentence

Still, it can be fun to use “many a time” if you find the right situation for it. It doesn’t strictly have to be for historical documents and writings, and if you like the way it sounds, then it might be a good choice for you.

1. I’ve been there many a time before, and I’d happily go again.
2. I’ve visited him many a time, and I must say it was never a fun experience!
3. We went back many a time because we fell in love!
4. They’ve been here many a time and see it’s the best restaurant in the area.
5. Many a time, I find myself lost for words to say to use.
6. Many a time, she walks around these parts looking for her lost artifact.

“Many a time” is synonymous with “many times.” We use it in an old-fashioned writing style to talk about something that we’ve done again and again.

Usually, if someone is asking us about a past experience (like going to a restaurant), we might use “many a time” to talk about how much we go there and help them decide whether or not it’s worth their time.

Is “Many A” Grammatically Correct?

“Many a” is grammatically correct. It’s possible to use the phrase with any object at the end (you have to use “many an” if that object starts with a vowel sound). It’s an old-fashioned form of writing “many,” but it still works.

The following phrases will show you how “many a” sentences work:

• Modern: Many apples
• Old-fashioned: Many an apple
• Modern: Many times
• Old-fashioned: Many a time
• Modern: Many things
• Old-fashioned: Many a thing
• Modern: Many cars
• Old-fashioned: Many a car

All of these phrases are synonymous. You can use whichever one you prefer, though it’s much more common for native speakers to use “many” with the plural form rather than “many a” with the singular form.

Should I Use “Many A Time” Or “Many Times”?

“Many times” is much more popular in today’s usage. You should always use “many times” over “many a time” unless you’re writing in a historical style (or trying to be funny). Generally, “many a time” will be more satirical or sarcastic in today’s world.

Here’s a graph that shows you just how popular “many times” is today compared with “many a time.” If you remember back to the graph previously, you’ll see just how much this changes the overall trendline of “many a time” when we include the largely used “many times” next to it.

Is It Ever Correct To Use “Manier Times”?

“Manier times” is incorrect, and you should not use it. “Manier” is not a word, though people believe it is the comparative form of “many” (including the “-ier” suffix). You should only use “many a time” or “many times.”

Many A Time – Synonyms

We’ll finish with some useful synonyms and alternatives to “many a time.” These are all more popular in modern usage, so take your pick.

• Many times
• A lot
• Often
• Oftentimes
• Repeatedly
• Again and again
• Over and over
• Frequently
• Time and again
• Day in, day out
• Constantly
• Continuously

All of these synonyms work great in today’s world. Take your pick with whichever one you think works best for the situation where you want to say you’ve done something multiple times.