numerosi

Numerosi is an Italian adjective meaning numerous or a large number. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: masc. sing. numero, fem. sing. numerosa, masc. plural numerosi, fem. plural numerose. Examples: numerosi libri, numerose persone, un numero di persone.

Etymology and morphology: the form derives from Latin numerosus, from numerus meaning number, with the Italian suffix -oso that indicates fullness or abundance. The word belongs to the same family as numerare (to count) and numero (number).

Usage: numerosi is commonly used in formal or written Italian to emphasize a large quantity. It can appear attributively before the noun or predicatively after essere: "I problemi sono numerosi" (The problems are numerous). In many everyday contexts, more neutral synonyms like molti or tante may be used instead, but numerosi conveys a stronger sense of magnitude without specifying an exact count.

Nuances and register: numerosi often carries a measured or factual tone suitable for reporting, descriptions, or analyses. It can be contrasted with altri terms such as molti (more general) or cospicui (conspicuously large). The feminine forms numerosa and numerose align with feminine nouns.

See also: related terms include numero, numerazione, numerare. While not a proper noun, numerosi as a word highlights abundance and can shape the tone of a sentence by stressing quantity rather than quality.