More than one

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "More than one" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a quantity that exceeds a single unit, often in contexts involving counting or comparisons. Example: "There are more than one reason to support this initiative."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

More than one might think.

The New Yorker

"More than one streak.

The New Yorker

"More than one god".

The New Yorker

More than one table?

WikiHow

More than one is ideal.

WikiHow

More than one word, even.

WikiHow

More than one evening item.

WikiHow

Or more than one.

The New York Times

Maybe more than one.

The New Yorker

There'd be more than one.

The New York Times - Magazine

"It's more than one person".

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "More than one" to clearly indicate a quantity exceeding one, avoiding ambiguity when precision is needed. For instance, specify "More than one attempt" to highlight that multiple tries were necessary.

Common error

Don't replace simpler alternatives like "several" or "multiple" with "More than one" unnecessarily. Using the phrase when a more concise word suffices can make your writing sound awkward and verbose.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "more than one" functions as a determiner or quantifier, modifying a noun to indicate that the quantity is greater than unity. Ludwig's examples demonstrate its usage in various contexts, emphasizing plurality or multiplicity.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Wiki

43%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "More than one" is a versatile phrase used to express a quantity greater than one across various contexts. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically sound and frequently encountered in news, media, and general writing. While it serves as a clear and direct way to indicate plurality, it's advisable to consider simpler alternatives like "several" or "multiple" for conciseness when appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Over one

This alternative uses 'over' to express exceeding a single unit, focusing on a numerical threshold.

Greater than one

This phrase employs 'greater than' for a direct comparison to the number one, emphasizing a numerical relationship.

More than a single

This option emphasizes the contrast against being just one. A direct substitution but less concise and more emphatic.

At least two

This option specifies a minimum quantity of two, offering a more concrete numerical value.

Multiple

This term directly states that there are many items or elements, indicating a diverse quantity.

Not just one

This highlights the condition of being other than a single item. Its main focus is to negate singularity.

A number of

This indicates an unspecified quantity, implying multiple items or instances, less precise than "More than one".

Several

This suggests a few items or instances, conveying a small but indefinite quantity, providing a sense of quantity.

Various

This indicates a range or assortment, suggesting diversity among the items, less specific regarding quantity.

A couple of

This suggests exactly two things. Highly specific in terms of quantity.

FAQs

How to use "More than one" in a sentence?

"More than one" is used to indicate a quantity greater than one. For example: "There are "more than one" reason to support this initiative."

What can I say instead of "More than one"?

You can use alternatives like "over one", "greater than one", or "at least two" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "More than one is" or "More than one are"?

When using "More than one" as a subject, the verb typically agrees with the noun that follows "one". Therefore, "More than one reason is" is correct in that context.

What's the difference between "More than one" and "Several"?

"More than one" explicitly indicates a quantity greater than one, while "several" implies a small, indefinite number, usually more than two but less than many. The first focuses on negation of singularity, while the second on the sense of quantity.