Pronunciation: /ə ˈkʌpəl/

Definitions of a couple

noun A couple is a noun that refers to two people or things that are together or considered together.

Example Sentences

A1 I saw a couple walking in the park.

A2 She bought a couple of books at the bookstore.

B1 We need to invite a couple more people to the party.

B2 They decided to take a couple of days off work to relax.

C1 The restaurant offered a couple of specials on the menu.

C2 He purchased a couple of paintings at the art gallery.

adjective In this context, 'a couple' can also function as an adjective, modifying a noun to indicate a small number or amount of something.

Example Sentences

A1 I bought a couple of apples at the store.

A2 She has a couple of siblings who live in another city.

B1 I need to make a couple of phone calls before we leave.

B2 We decided to take a couple of days off and go on a road trip.

C1 He bought a couple of antique chairs for his living room.

C2 They have a couple of vacation homes in different countries.

Examples of a couple in a Sentence

formal I met a couple at the conference who were interested in investing in our company.

informal I saw a couple of my friends at the mall yesterday.

slang Let's grab a couple of drinks after work.

figurative There's always a couple of bad apples in every group.

Grammatical Forms of a couple

past tense

coupled

plural

couples

comparative

more couple

superlative

most couple

present tense

couple

future tense

will couple

perfect tense

have coupled

continuous tense

coupling

singular

a couple

positive degree

couple

infinitive

to couple

gerund

coupling

participle

coupling

Origin and Evolution of a couple

First Known Use: 1300 year
Language of Origin: Old French
Story behind the word: The word 'a couple' originated from the Old French word 'cople' which came from the Latin word 'copula' meaning a bond or link.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to a pair or a small number of things, 'a couple' has evolved to commonly mean two individuals or a small, indefinite number of things.