count
count
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "count" is /kaʊnt/.
kaʊnt:
/kaʊ/ (diphthong as in "cow")
/nt/ (consonant cluster)
Word Form Variations
Count (singular noun, base form verb)
Counts (plural noun, third-person singular present verb)
Counting (present participle verb, gerund)
Counted (past tense verb, past participle verb)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A specific total or tally of items or individuals.
Example: The final count of votes showed a clear winner.
Synonyms: tally, total, sum, enumeration, reckoning
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a total; perhaps "deficit" or "shortage" in certain contexts)
An individual charge or indictment in a legal proceeding.
Example: He was found guilty on two counts of fraud.
Synonyms: charge, indictment, accusation, article
Antonyms: acquittal, exoneration
A nobleman with a rank equivalent to an earl in the British peerage.
Example: The Count and Countess resided in a grand château.
Synonyms: earl, nobleman, peer
Antonyms: commoner, peasant
Verb
To determine the total number of items or individuals in a group by assigning a number to each one.
Example: Please count the number of students present.
Synonyms: enumerate, tally, total, add up, reckon
Antonyms: estimate (in the sense of not being exact), guess
To be considered or included as part of a total or group.
Example: Every vote counts in a close election.
Synonyms: matter, signify, be important, be included, be valid
Antonyms: be insignificant, be excluded, be disregarded
To rely or depend on someone or something.
Example: You can count on me to help.
Synonyms: rely, depend, bank, trust, lean
Antonyms: distrust, doubt, mistrust
To recite numbers in order.
Example: The child is learning to count to ten.
Synonyms: enumerate, list numbers
Antonyms: (No direct antonym, as it's a specific action)
Examples of Use
Books:
"He began to count the pages, a nervous habit he'd developed over the years." (From The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, August 2020)
"The Count of Monte Cristo, a tale of betrayal and revenge, remains a classic of French literature." (From The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, 1844)
Newspapers:
"Election officials urged patience as the final count of ballots continued well into the night." (Associated Press)
"The prosecution added a third count of aggravated assault to the charges against the suspect." ( The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"Every click and every view helps our content creators, so make your engagement count." (YouTube Creators Blog)
"The recent economic downturn has led many to count their pennies more carefully." (Forbes.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
"Welcome, brave adventurers, to the Crypt of the Count!" (Line from a popular Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast, "Critical Role," 2015-present)
A character in a video game might say, "I've lost count of how many times I've faced this boss." (Common in role-playing games, e.g., Elden Ring, February 2022)
A sports commentator: "And that brings the count to two balls and one strike." (ESPN broadcast of a baseball game, May 2025)
General Public Discourse:
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch." (Common English idiom)
"I'm going to count to three, and then I'm leaving!" (Often heard from parents to children)
"Do you think this new policy will actually count for anything?" (Casual conversation)
10 Quotes Using Count
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." (Albert Einstein)
"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else." (Winston Churchill)
"When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred." (Thomas Jefferson)
"The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do." (Joseph Stalin)
"Don't just count your years, make your years count." (George Meredith)
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." (Eric Hoffer)
"It's not the voting that's democracy; it's the counting." (Tom Stoppard)
"Life is not always going to be roses and rainbows. You are going to have uncomfortable moments. It's what we do with those moments that is going to count and determine our destiny." (Lana)
"Don't count your chickens before they are hatched." (Aesop)
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." (Winston Churchill)
Etymology
The word "count" has a rich history, with its origins tracing back to Latin and Old French.
The noun "count" (meaning a total or tally) comes from the Old French word "conte" (or "compte"), which itself derived from the Latin word "computus." "Computus" meant a "computation" or "reckoning." The earliest known use of "count" in English with this meaning dates back to the late 13th century, referring to the act or result of counting.
The verb "to count" (meaning to add up or enumerate) also has its roots in Latin. It comes from the Old French word "conter" (or "compter"), which ultimately stems from the Latin verb "computare." "Computare" meant "to calculate," "to sum up," or "to reckon together." The verb "count" first appeared in English around the early 14th century, with its initial meaning being to determine the total number of something.
Interestingly, the noun "count" referring to a nobleman (like in "The Count of Monte Cristo") has a different, though related, etymology. This comes from the Latin word "comes," meaning "companion" or "attendant." In the Roman Empire, a "comes" was a high-ranking official who accompanied the emperor. This title evolved through Old French "conte" into the English "count" around the mid-14th century, referring to a European nobleman of a certain rank.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Count
Count on someone/something: To rely or depend on someone or something.
Count your blessings: To be grateful for the good things in one's life.
Count your chickens before they hatch: To assume success too early or prematurely.
Count me in: To include someone in an activity or plan.
Count me out: To exclude someone from an activity or plan.
Count to ten: To pause and calm down before reacting in anger.
Count for nothing/little: To have no or little importance or value.
Count against someone/something: To be a disadvantage or mark against someone or something.
Count heads: To determine the number of people present.
By my count: According to my calculation or tally.
Lose count: To forget the total number of items being counted.
Keep count: To maintain a tally or record of something.
Down for the count: Unconscious or defeated (often from boxing).
The final count: The ultimate total or result.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of count from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
