copiose

Copiose is an Italian adjective meaning abundant or copious. It has four gendered and plural forms: copioso (masculine singular), copiosa (feminine singular), copiosi (masculine plural), and copiose (feminine plural). In usage, copiose describes quantities, resources, or amounts that are plentiful, often emphasizing richness or fullness rather than mere quantity.

Etymology and related forms trace back to the Latin term copia, meaning abundance or supply. The suffix -osus in Latin produced copiosus, which evolved in Italian into copioso as the masculine form and copiosa for feminine. The feminine plural copiose corresponds to a plural subject described by the adjective.

In contemporary Italian, copiose is common in formal or literary contexts. It can modify nouns referring to tangible or abstract abundance, such as piogge copiose (heavy rains), informazioni copiose (copious information), or capitoli copiosi (long chapters). Synonyms include abundante, copioso, e abbondante, with nuances depending on context. The word contrasts with more modest descriptors like scarso or moderato when abundance is limited.

Cognate terms exist in other Romance languages, such as Spanish copioso, French copieux, and Portuguese copioso, all deriving from the same Latin root and sharing the sense of abundance.

See also: copia, copiosus (Latin), etymology of abundance in Romance languages.