means
/miːnz/ noun (plural means)Definition
› [C ] a method or way of doing something: We must use every means at our disposal.means of sth We need to find some other means of transportation.means of doing sth There is no means of tracing the debt at all. They saw the redundancies as a means to an end.
› [plural] money, for example from an income, that allows you to buy things: the means to do sth With over $160 million of cash and virtually no debt, the company has the means to expand.
beyond your means › if you are living beyond your means, you are spending more money than you earn: Too many people live beyond their means.
the means justify the end › used to say that it does not matter if the methods used to achieve something are wrong, dishonest, etc. as long as you get the result you want : I'm sorry, but reducing the wages of the lowest-paid in order to save money is just not acceptable - the means don't justify the end.
by means of › using something: The device is attached to the patient's arm by means of straps.
(Definition of means noun from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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