Plenty means having more than enough of something, often much more. When there's plenty of food at a party, everyone can eat until they're satisfied and there will still be leftovers. When a teacher says you have plenty of time to finish a test, she means you don't need to rush or worry.

The word suggests abundance and generosity rather than just barely having what you need. If you pack three water bottles for a short hike, you have plenty of water. If you bring exactly one bottle and it's just enough, that's sufficient but not plenty.

You'll often hear phrases like plenty of room (there's lots of space), plenty to go around (enough for everyone with some to spare), or plenty of time (more than enough to complete a task without stress). When someone says “that's plenty,” they usually mean “that's more than sufficient, you can stop now.”

The word can also describe a situation of general abundance. Farmers might talk about years of plenty when crops grow well, contrasted with lean years when harvests are small. In this sense, plenty describes a time when resources are plentiful and people don't have to worry about running short.