Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Consisting of or making up a large mass; bulky, heavy, and solid: synonym: heavy.
  • adjective Physics Having relatively high mass.
  • adjective Large or imposing, as in quantity, scope, degree, intensity, or scale.
  • adjective Large in comparison with the usual amount.
  • adjective Affecting a large area of bodily tissue; widespread and severe.
  • adjective Mineralogy Lacking internal crystalline structure; amorphous.
  • adjective Geology Without internal structure or layers and homogeneous in composition. Used of a rock.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In zoology: Noting a compact sponge of any kind which grows more or less equally in all directions: contrasted with incrusting, dendritic, flabellate, etc.
  • In pathology, extensive; involving a large mass of tissue.
  • noun Same as massif.
  • Forming or consisting of a large mass; solid; having great size and weight; heavy; weighty; ponderous: as, a massive weapon.
  • Existing in mass or masses; massed or aggregated; not separated into parts or elements: specifically applied in psychology to sensations or feelings.
  • Pertaining to the whole mass or bulk of anything; total, as to mass; not special, local, or partial.
  • In mineralogy, without crystalline form, although perhaps crystalline in structure: as, a mineral that occurs massive. A mineral which is both massive and non-crystalline is said to be amorphous.
  • In geology, homogeneous; destitute of structural divisions, such as planes of stratification or jointing.
  • In zoology, massed: applied to the type of structure represented by the mollusks.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Forming, or consisting of, a large mass; compacted; weighty; heavy; massy.
  • adjective (Min.) In mass; not necessarily without a crystalline structure, but having no regular form.
  • adjective (Geol.) a compact crystalline rock not distinctly schistose, as granite; also, with some authors, an eruptive rock.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to a large mass; weighty, heavy, or bulky.
  • adjective Much larger than normal.
  • adjective Of great significance or import; overwhelming.
  • adjective mineralogy Of a specimen not exhibiting crystal form.
  • adjective Of particularly exceptional quality or value; awesome.
  • adjective physics Possessing mass.
  • noun mineralogy A homogeneous mass of rock, not layered and without an obvious crystal structure.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective being the same substance throughout
  • adjective imposing in size or bulk or solidity
  • adjective consisting of great mass; containing a great quantity of matter
  • adjective imposing in scale or scope or degree or power

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English massif, from Old French, from masse, mass; see mass.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French massif.

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Examples

  • Ashurst restructuring managing partner Mark Vickers said: "We've seen massive changes taking place in the banking ­industry - there's been ­massive upheaval both in the marketplace and organisationally within the banks.

    The Lawyer - Latest News 2009

  • Kwesi Ofori, director of public affairs for the Ghanaian national police, told VOA authorities came to the camp to quell what he described as massive violence that was being carried out by the refugees.

    Conflicting Accounts of Ghanaian Police Raid on Refugee Camp 2011

  • ElBaradei's message comes just days after President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party swept to victory in parliamentary elections after the two main opposition groups boycotted a second round of voting to protest what they called massive fraud.

    Egyptian Opposition Figure Calls for Election Boycott 2010

  • ElBaradei's message comes just days after President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party swept to victory in parliamentary elections after the two main opposition groups boycotted a second round of voting to protest what they called massive fraud.

    Egyptian Opposition Figure Calls for Election Boycott 2010

  • The Islamist group, which is banned but tolerated and fields candidates as independents, joined a broad coalition of Egyptian and international human rights groups in denouncing what they described as massive and systemic fraud.

    World Watch 2010

  • ElBaradei's message comes just days after President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party swept to victory in parliamentary elections after the two main opposition groups boycotted a second round of voting to protest what they called massive fraud.

    Egyptian Opposition Figure Calls for Election Boycott 2010

  • Meanwhile, another major development we're following right now in the war on terrorism, the FBI detailing allegations of what they describe as a massive plot to detonate bombs in the United States.

    CNN Transcript Sep 24, 2009 2009

  • CHERNOFF: Well, as I just said, his attorney just made very clear that he is going to plead guilty on Thursday to these counts I've said and essentially as we've been reporting what Mr. Madoff has said to FBI agents months ago is that he did engage in what he described as a massive ponzi scheme, taking money from new investors, using that money to pay off people, taking withdrawals.

    CNN Transcript Mar 10, 2009 2009

  • Americans are taking what they call a massive leap of faith.

    CNN Transcript Jul 27, 2009 2009

  • Pakistan launching what it calls a massive offensive against insurgents.

    CNN Transcript Oct 17, 2009 2009

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