con|sid|er|a|ble

con|sid|er|a|ble «kuhn SIHD uhr uh buhl», adjective, noun, adverb.

–adj.

1. worth thinking about; of consequence; important: »

The mayor is a considerable person in his town. Being a school principal is a considerable responsibility.

SYNONYM(S): great.

2. worthy of consideration because of its extent, size, or proportions; rather large: »

The Panama Canal was a considerable engineering job.

SYNONYM(S): sizable.

3. in large quantity; not a little; much: »

He made a considerable sum of money in real estate.

SYNONYM(S): goodly.

–n.

1. U.S. Informal. a great deal; not a little; much: »

I reckon he earned considerable during his lifetime.

2. Obsolete. a thing to be considered.

–adv.

Dialect. considerably; rather: »

He was considerable thirsty. I've thought about it considerable.

Usage considerable, considerably. In speech there is a tendency not to distinguish between the adverb considerably and the adjective considerable. In formal and informal writing the distinction is observed: »

The teacher's explanation helped them considerably (modifies verb helped). The teacher's explanation was of considerable help to them (modifies noun help).

In the informal speech of the United States, considerable is sometimes used as a noun: »

He has done considerable to improve the service.

Educated speakers, however, avoid this use.