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En masse means "as a mass." That is, things done en masse are done by the masses, or by large groups of people.
Speaking of masses of people:
something ca____ic affects the masses,
and the h__ p_____ are the masses.
make your point with...
"EN MASSE"
"En masse" is French for "in mass." (Here, "mass" means "a crowd" or "a large amount.")
So, something done en masse is done all at once, or done all as one big group of people.
Pronunciation:
on MASS
Part of speech:
Adverb.
(Adverbs usually describe actions: that is, they tell when, where, how, or to what extent
something is being done. You usually put them close to the action they describe:
"something happens en masse," "people do something en masse.")
Other forms:
none
How to use it:
We can vote or fight en masse; gather or unite en masse; move or settle en masse; march, approach, swarm, retreat, or descend en masse; collapse en masse; and complain or celebrate en masse.
We communicate information en masse, watch television or subscribe to services en masse, rely on our Internet service en masse, release products and services to the public en masse, and kill insects or other creatures en masse.
And people can be born en masse (and die en masse), be hired or fired en masse, be appointed or arrested en masse, be accepted or rejected en masse, be admitted or deported en masse, etc.
Although it's usually people who act en masse, you can also talk about animals migrating en masse, objects malfunctioning en masse, problems appearing en masse, etc.
examples:
As increasingly poor service drove customers away en masse, the CEO of the cable company vowed to make serious changes to the way they did business.
Left on the floor, Legos can transform en masse from playthings into deadly foot-seeking weapons.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "en masse" means when you can explain it without saying "as a large group" or "all at the same time."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "People flock to (or, don't exactly flock to) (some place, service, or event) en masse."
Example 1: "People flock to the new Metro Diner en masse for Sunday brunch."
Example 2: "People don't exactly flock to Batteries & Bulbs en masse."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is called "Cousins or Strangers?"
Consider two pairs of similar-looking words, and figure out which pair are truly related, like cousins, and which pair are unrelated, like strangers. "Related," of course, is a relative concept (ha ha). We're interested in closeness: "compute" and "computer" are sisters, or variations of the same word; "vision" and "video" are cousins, sharing the same Latin root; but "compute" and "video" are strangers.
From our previous issue:
Pair A: OPTICS and OPTIMISM. These are the strangers. Although optimism is a way of looking at the world, the word "optimism" doesn't relate to "optics." We got "optimism" from the Latin optimus, meaning "the best." And we got "optics" from the Greek optos, meaning "seen" or "visible."
Pair B: FABLE and FABULOUS. These are the cousins. "Fabulous" comes from the Latin fabulosus, "celebrated in fable."
Ready to check out two more pairs? Remember, one pair will be cousins; the other, strangers. Which is which?
Pair A: DISTINGUISH and EXTINGUISH
Pair B: REVAMP and VAMPIRE
review today's word:
1. The opposite of EN MASSE is
A. CONDITIONALLY
B. INDIVIDUALLY
C. SERIOUSLY
2. He sincerely wished he had the resources to _____ en masse.
A. sponsor refugees
B. quit his job
C. travel
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. A
En masse means "as a mass." That is, things done en masse are done by the masses, or by large groups of people.
"EN MASSE" "En masse" is French for "in mass." (Here, "mass" means "a crowd" or "a large amount.") Part of speech:
As increasingly poor service drove customers away en masse, the CEO of the cable company vowed to make serious changes to the way they did business.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "en masse" means when you can explain it without saying "as a large group" or "all at the same time."
Fill in the blanks: "People flock to (or, don't exactly flock to) (some place, service, or event) en masse."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of EN MASSE is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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