From Middle English maught, might, miȝt, myght, from Old English maht, meaht, meht, mieht, miht, mæht (“ability, power; strength; virtue”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz (“ability, power; force, strength”), from Proto-Indo-European *(me)mógʰe (“to be able to, to have power”), from *megʰ- (“to be able”), corresponding to Germanic *maganą (“to be able, may”) + *-þiz. Equivalent to may + -th.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots micht (“might”), Yola mought (“might”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“might, power”), Luxembourgish Muecht (“authority, might, power”), Yiddish מאַכט (makht, “might, power”), Faroese and Icelandic máttur (“might, strength”), Danish magt (“power; force”), Norwegian Bokmål makt (“power”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish makt (“power; force”), mått (“might, power”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (mahts, “ability, might, power”), and further to Irish smacht (“ordinance, regulation, rule; dominion, sway; control, discipline, restraint; fine, penalty”), Greek μάγος (mágos, “magician; sorcerer, wizard”), Lithuanian mėgti (“to like”), Belarusian моц (moc, “might, power”), Bulgarian мощ (mošt, “might, power”), Czech and Polish moc (“might, power”), Macedonian моќ (moḱ, “might, power”), Russian мочь (močʹ, “power, might”) and мощь (moščʹ, “force, strength”), Serbo-Croatian мо̑ћ, mȏć (“power; strength; potency; authority”), Slovene moč (“power; strength”), Ukrainian міч (mič) and міць (micʹ, “might, power”), Armenian մոգ (mog, “magus; fire-worshiper, Zoroastrian; astrologer; diviner, enchanter, sorcerer, wizard”), Persian مغ (moġ, “magus”), Sanskrit मघ (magha, “power, wealth; bounty, gift, reward”). See more at may.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group.
[…]ſtrengthed with all myght, thꝛough his gloꝛious power, unto all pacience and long ſufferyng with ioifulneſſe[…] 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “The Introites, Collectes, Epiſtles and Goſpelles, to be uſed at the celebꝛacion of the loꝛdes Supper, & holy Communion, thꝛough the yere, with pꝛoper Pſalmes and Leſſons, for diuers feaſtes and dayes”, in The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC, folio xcvii, recto:
Since every nation considers itself right, peace lies in balancing the military mights of the possible rivals. 1969, [unattributed], Journal of the United Service Institution of India, volume 99, page 115:
The 1833 Slavery Abolition Act had abolished slavery completely in the British Empire, and this, along with the fact that the Empire's military and economic might was beginning to pull even further ahead of other nations', thanks in part to the Industrial Revolution, saw the squadron expand to around twenty-five ships (regularly having to be swapped out because of the high incidence of tropical disease)[…] 2018 December 1, Drachinifel, 7:26 from the start, in Anti-Slavery Patrols - The West Africa Squadron, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2024:
This is the richest, the most powerful country which ever occupied this globe. The might of past empires is little compared to ours. But I do not want to be the president who built empires or sought grandeur or extended dominion. I want to be the president who educated young children to the wonders of their world. 1965 March 15, Lyndon B. Johnson, 43:30 from the start, in Special Message to the Congress: The American Promise [on the Voting Rights Act], 3/15/65. MP506., Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum:
(uncountable) Physical strength or force.
He pushed with all his might, but still it would not move.
Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
With 14 minutes gone Héctor Moreno might have scored, glancing a header too close to Neuer from a free-kick. 2018 June 17, Barney Ronay, “Mexico’s Hirving Lozano stuns world champions Germany for brilliant win”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2019:
He asked me if he might go to the party, but I haven't decided yet.
I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
I thought that I might go the next day.
The king and queen of Tahiti might not touch the ground anywhere but within their hereditary domains; for the ground on which they trod became sacred. 1922, James Frazer, chapter 60, in The Golden Bough:
In those days, a Briton might be hanged for stealing an egg
(auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) simple past of may ▸ Used to indicate a desired past action that was not done.
You might have warned me about the thunderstorm.
(auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions; would perhaps/maybe.
It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next;[…]. 2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:
“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;[…]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
Well, I might go to a party, but I haven't decided yet.
The characterism of an honest man: He looks not to what he might do, but what he should. 1608, Joseph Hall, Characters of Virtues and Vices:
(auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Used concessively to admit something before making a more accurate or important statement; although
I might be in a wheelchair, but I still want to be treated as a lady.
I might play football, but I do know how to read. 2016, Candy Sloan, Wrong Bed Reunion:
(archaic, auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle, often) Used in polite requests for permission.
"Might I take the last biscuit? I wonder if I might have a little more coffee too." "Yes you may, help yourself.".
(UK, auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle) Used to express certainty.
Yeah, I think we might need something a bit sturdier.
eo eble (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · sv skulle kunna (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · hu lehet (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · he יָכֹל (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · pt talvez (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · fr peut-être (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · sco micht (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · hu esetleg (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · he עָלוּל (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · hy կարող է (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · pt poder (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · hu talán (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · vi có lẽ (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · pl można by (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · grc ἄν (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · de könnten (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · km ប្រហែល (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · de könnte (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · ja かも知れない (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · ro putea (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · fi saattaa (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · hy կարող են (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · nl zou kunnen (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · es puede que (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · uk мо́же бу́ти (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · sq mundësi (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · it potere (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · sv kanske (indicator of conditional or possible actions) · mk може (indicator of conditional or possible actions)