A Couple Is Two, Except When It Is Not
A couple means two people or things. In loose speech it stretches to a small number, and that flexibility causes arguments.
A couple is two of something, especially two people in a relationship. In casual speech it stretches: *a couple of minutes* often means three or four, and *a couple of things to do* can mean five. Careful writing keeps it at two, because a reader who takes it literally will be misled by an author who did not.
- Two people or things. *A married couple.*
- A small number (loose). *A couple of days.*
- To join. *Couple the carriages.*
- Coupling — the connecting device. *A pipe coupling.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | couple | A young couple. |
| Plural | couples | Several couples. |
| Verb | couple | Couple them together. |
| Noun | coupling | A loose coupling. |
| Related | copulate | From the same root. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The couple were married in June.Often plural in British English.
- A couple of hours.Loosely two or a few.
- A couple hours.American informal, without *of*.
Vague quantity words
- A couple — strictly two, loosely a few
- A few — roughly three to five
- Several — more than a few, fewer than many
- A handful — a small manageable number
- Umpteen — an indefinitely large number
From Old French *cople*, from Latin *copula*, a bond or tie — the same word as the grammatical *copula*, the linking verb.
Is *a couple of* always two?
In careful writing, yes. In speech it often means a small indefinite number, which is why it can mislead.
Couple is or couple are?
British English usually treats it as plural when referring to two people. American English more often uses the singular.