multiple

1 of 2

adjective

mul·​ti·​ple ˈməl-tə-pəl How to pronounce multiple (audio)
1
: consisting of, including, or involving more than one
multiple births
multiple choices
2
: many, manifold
multiple achievements
He suffered multiple injuries in the accident.
3
: shared by many
multiple ownership
4
: having numerous aspects or functions : various
life is very multiple; full of movements, facts, and newsJohn Galsworthy
5
: being a group of terminals (see terminal entry 2 sense 3) which make a circuit available at a number of points
6
: formed by coalescence of the ripening ovaries (see ovary sense 2) of several flowers
a multiple fruit

multiple

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the product of a quantity by an integer
35 is a multiple of 7
b
: something in units of more than one or two
2
3
chiefly British : chain store

Examples of multiple in a Sentence

Adjective She made multiple copies of the report. a person of multiple achievements He suffered multiple injuries in the accident. Noun 35 is a multiple of 7. 12 is a multiple of 6.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Figures of Ron, Harry, and Hermione are accompanied by 22 accessories, so there are plenty of features for multiple kids to play at once. Maya Polton, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024 Should Tesla only manage a low single digit increase over Q1 of 2023, Tesla risks becoming a growth stock minus the growth—a toxic combination that could result in severe multiple compression as fewer investors are willing to pay 60 times earnings to own a company mired in stagnation. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024 Nembhard is capable of forcing help and drawing multiple defenders. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024 There is an expectation that the public will see working royals multiple times a month, and when they are seen, they are also filmed and photographed. Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024 The power goes out multiple times a year, says Reiter, usually caused by fierce wind and other weather events. Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Last August, police from multiple agencies swarmed the Del Amo mall after a brawl broke out. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024 What is the Sims about? Instead following a plot, Sims users play as multiple avatars with various personality traits, skills and relationships. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 The provisions expired at the end of 2021, and Congress is considering a modest expansion of the child tax credit that would broaden eligibility for the lowest-income families with multiple children. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
Body camera footage showed police ordered Aung to drop the gun multiple times. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2024 In the first official month of Hovde's campaign, Clarke has defended Hovde on social media multiple times. Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 The victim, Richard Butler, was sitting inside his SUV when a suspect approached the vehicle and fired a gun multiple times, striking the victim twice in the chest, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia. Landon Mion, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2024 Pattinson said that the passenger, identified as Nathan Jones, was seated in the plane's seat 6E but left his seat multiple times. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 The company still trades at a multiple that is significantly higher than other mega-cap high-flyers, yet the pace of expansion in its revenue and profit have slowed markedly since last year. Esha Dey, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Trending on Billboard Shot Tower gave a midpoint valuation of $1.93 billion, reflecting a multiple of 15.9x net royalty income, which is around 26% lower than the valuation of September 2023. Richard Smirke, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 The spate of offers comes as London equities trade around 40% cheaper than global peers on a key M&A valuation measure, the multiple of enterprise value to earnings. Alexandra Muller, Fortune Europe, 1 Mar. 2024 Compare this to Cisco, given the parallels being drawn, which traded at more than 150 times earnings at the peak of the dot-com bubble – or more than twice as high a multiple as the most expensive of the Mag 7 of today. Beth Kindig, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'multiple.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

French, from Latin multiplex, from multi- + -plex -fold — more at -fold

First Known Use

Adjective

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of multiple was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near multiple

Cite this Entry

“Multiple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multiple. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

multiple

1 of 2 adjective
mul·​ti·​ple ˈməl-tə-pəl How to pronounce multiple (audio)
1
: containing, involving, or consisting of more than one
multiple copies
2
: many entry 1 sense 1
a person of multiple achievements

multiple

2 of 2 noun
: the product of a quantity and a whole number
35 is a multiple of 7

Medical Definition

multiple

adjective
mul·​ti·​ple ˈməl-tə-pəl How to pronounce multiple (audio)
1
: consisting of, including, or involving more than one
multiple births
2
: affecting many parts of the body at once

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