might

Etymology 1

From Middle English myght, might (also maught, macht, maht), from Old English miht, mieht, meaht, mæht (“might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability, virtue, mighty work, miracle, angel”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, *mahtuz (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *mógʰtis, *megʰ- (“to allow, be able, help”), corresponding to Germanic *maganą + *-þiz. Equivalent to may + -th. Cognate with Scots micht, maucht (“might”), North Frisian macht (“might, ability”), West Frisian macht (“might, ability”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“power, might”), Swedish makt (“might”), Norwegian makt (“power”), Icelandic máttur (“might”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (mahts). See more at may.

noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Power, strength, force or influence held by a person or group.
   This is the richest, the most powerful country which ever occupied this globe. The might of past empires is little compared to ours. But I do not want to be the president who built empires or sought grandeur or extended dominion. I want to be the president who educated young children to the wonders of their world. March 15, 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson, 43:30 from the start, in Special Message to the Congress: The American Promise [on the Voting Rights Act], 3/15/65. MP506., Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
   Since every nation considers itself right, peace lies in balancing the military mights of the possible rivals. 1969, {unattributed}, Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Volume 99
2. (uncountable) Physical strength or force.
   He pushed with all his might, but still it would not move.
3. (uncountable) The ability to do something.

adj

1. (obsolete) Mighty; powerful.
2. (obsolete) Possible.

Etymology 2

From Old English meahte and mihte, from magan, whence English may.

verb

1. (auxiliary) third-person singular simple present indicative of might Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.
   I might go to the party, but I haven't decided yet.
   The characterism of an honest man: He looks not to what he might do, but what he should. 1608, Joseph Hall, Characters of Virtues and Vices
   It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next;[…]. 2013-06-07, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36
2. (auxiliary) simple past of may Used to indicate permission in past tense.
   He asked me if he might go to the party, but I haven't decided yet.
   The king and queen of Tahiti might not touch the ground anywhere but within their hereditary domains; for the ground on which they trod became sacred. 1922, James Frazer, chapter 60, in The Golden Bough
3. (auxiliary) simple past of may Used to indicate possibility in past tense.
   I thought that I might go the next day.
   I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
   Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess
4. simple past of might Used to indicate a desired past action that was not done.
   Hey man, you might have warned me about the thunderstorm.
   With 14 minutes gone Héctor Moreno might have scored, glancing a header too close to Neuer from a free-kick. 17 June 2018, Barney Ronay, “Mexico’s Hirving Lozano stuns world champions Germany for brilliant win”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2019-08-05
5. (auxiliary) Even though.
   I might be in a wheelchair, but I still want to be treated as a lady.
   I might play football, but I do know how to read. 2016, Candy Sloan, Wrong Bed Reunion
6. (auxiliary) Used in polite requests for permission
   Might I take the last biscuit?
7. (auxiliary, UK, meiosis) Used to express certainty.
   Yeah, I think we might need something a bit sturdier.