Among

Among is a preposition used to indicate being in the middle of or within a group, or to describe distribution or relationship within a larger set. It is often followed by a plural noun or a pronoun, as in "among the students" or "among us." Less commonly, it appears in phrases such as "among other things" or "among friends."

Usage notes: When describing a relationship or distribution involving more than two elements, among is typically preferred rather than between. For two elements, between is common though among can sometimes be used in a more general sense: "divided among the two options" is acceptable, but "divided between the two options" is also used. The form "amongst" is a British variant of "among" and appears mostly in formal or traditional writing.

Examples: The money was divided among the participants. She walked among the trees. There is a sense of solidarity among colleagues. The phrase "among others" signals that additional examples exist.

Etymology: The word comes from Old English amonge, meaning "in the midst of" or "together with," from Proto-Germanic roots. Variants include "amongst" in some dialects of British English. In modern usage, "among" is the standard form in American English, while "amongst" remains common in British English and other varieties.