Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

most

2 determiner, pronoun
     
most2 S1 W1 [the superlative of 'many' and 'much']
1 nearly all of the people or things in a group, or nearly all of something [= the majority]:
Like most people, I try to take a vacation every year.
Most research in this field has been carried out by the Russians.
most of
It was Sunday and most of the shops were shut.
Most of what Hannah told me wasn't true.
Some were barefoot, most were in rags.
most of the time/most days etc (=usually)
Most of the time it's very quiet here.
Most evenings we just stay in and watch TV.
2 a larger amount or number than anyone or anything else
the most
The team that scores the most points wins.
Which class has the most children in it?
It's unfair that you should have to pay the most when you earn so little.
The animal that caused most trouble was a little black puppy.
3 the largest number or amount possible:
The aim is to help patients to obtain most benefit from their treatment.
the most
The most you can hope to achieve is just to get him to listen to your ideas.
4

at (the) most

used to say that you think an amount cannot be larger than the amount you are mentioning:
It'll take 20 minutes at the most.
There were at most 50 people in the audience.
The boy looked nine at the very most (=he was probably younger).
5

for the most part

used to say that something is generally true but not completely true:
For the most part, people seemed pretty friendly.
6

make the most of something/get the most out of something

to gain the greatest possible advantage from something:
Charming and friendly, she will help you make the most of your visit.
advice on how to get the most out of your computer
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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