Make Your Editor Cry: In Mass vs. En Masse
We borrowed the phrase en masse from the French. The first use dates back to the 18th century.
Example:
The mob marched en masse to the Bastille.
It does indeed mean “in a mass,” and you can use that English expression if you prefer, but “in mass” without the article to describe the uncountable noun “mass” is an error. The correct phrase is en masse but you can also use in a mass.
Gregg Bridgeman is the Editor-in-Chief at Olivia Kimbrell Press. He is husband to best-selling Christian author Hallee Bridgeman and parent to three. He continues to proudly serve in the US Armed Forces and has done so in either an active or reserve capacity for more than twenty years as an airborne and air assault qualified paratrooper, earning a Bronze Star for his service. Most importantly, he was ordained in October of 2001 after surrendering his life to Christ decades earlier.
