ADJ
- appropriate, best, effective, efficient, reliable, useful
- an effective means of mass communication
- necessary, possible, practicable
- We will use every possible means to achieve our objective
- alternative, other
- War is famously 'the continuation of policy by other means'
- conventional, traditional
- legal, legitimate
VERB + MEANS
- have
- We have no means of knowing how they will react
- use
- offer (sb), provide (sb with)
- My English teacher provided me with the means to enjoy reading poetry
- devise
- Can you devise a means of overcoming the problem?
PREP
- by ~ (of)
- The stone was lifted by means of a rope and pulley
- through ~
- They cannot achieve their goal through legal means
- ~ for
- the means for achieving happiness
- ~ of
- a means of access/communication/transport a means of getting what you want
PHRASES
- a means to an end
- He saw his education merely as a means to an end
- by fair means or foul, by no means/not by any means (= not at all), ways and means
- There are ways and means of raising money
ADJ
- independent, private
- She must have independent means to live in such style
- limited, moderate, modest, slender
- visible
- people who lack visible means of support
MEANS + NOUN
- test
- Eligibility for the benefit was determined by a means test
PREP
- according to your ~ (= according to what you can afford), beyond your ~
- Private school fees are beyond the means of most people (= more than they can afford)
- within your ~
- (= according to what you can afford) She finds it difficult to live within her means
PHRASES
- a man/woman of means (= a rich man/woman)