multiple

American  

[muhl-tuh-puhl] / ˈmʌl tə pəl /

adjective

1. consisting of, having, or involving several or many individuals, parts, elements, relations, etc.; manifold.

2. Electricity.

   1. (of circuits) arranged in parallel.

   2. (of a circuit or circuits) having a number of points at which connection can be made.

3. Botany. (of a fruit) collective.

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noun

• multiples
  plural

1. Mathematics. a number that contains another number an integral number of times without a remainder.

   12 is a multiple of 3.

2. Electricity. a group of terminals arranged to make a circuit or group of circuits accessible at a number of points at any one of which connection can be made.

multiple British  

/ ˈmʌltɪpəl /

adjective

1. having or involving more than one part, individual, etc

   he had multiple injuries

2. electronics (of a circuit) having a number of conductors in parallel

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noun

1. the product of a given number or polynomial and any other one

   6 is a multiple of 2

2. telephony an electrical circuit accessible at a number of points to any one of which a connection can be made

3. short for multiple store

multiple Scientific  

/ mŭl′tə-pəl /

1. A number that may be divided by another number with no remainder. For example, 4, 10, and 32 are multiples of 2.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonmultiple
  adjective
• multiply
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• multiples
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of multiple

First recorded in 1570–80; from French, from Late Latin multiplus “manifold”; see multi-

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Explanation

When you're talking about more than one, you're talking about multiple things. A machine with many fixtures has multiple parts. A person that seems like two totally different people on different days might have multiple personalities. The word multiple comes from the Latin multiplus meaning "manifold." When something exists in multiple forms, it's manifold, or has many kinds. Think of a multiplex theater that can show multiple movies at once. Walk through a garden full of flowers and you'll see multiple kinds of blooms. A multiple is also a number that can be divided into another number without a remainder. Multiples of five, for example are ten, fifteen, twenty... — you get the picture.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

multiple multiples

LeBron James says that his loved ones are not in danger after multiple media outlets reported that a man was arrested outside the former Lakers star’s Brentwood home late last week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

The new plant, located near Honda’s existing Ohio manufacturing operations, will have the flexibility to produce multiple vehicle types and powertrains including hybrid and gas-powered vehicles, as well as electric vehicles, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

More than 1.9 million people have been displaced, many of them multiple times, and 1.2 million of them are currently living in tents or makeshift shelters, it says.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

The European Union already has multiple laws covering data protection, artificial intelligence and online content.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

“They are offline. I have told you this multiple times,” Guardian says.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

But price-to-earnings multiples are based on two things.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

For the fast-growing technology sector, multiples have come down even more quickly.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 1, 2026

Bernstein analyst Lance Wilkes, who is more optimistic about a compromise, wrote that the potential relief for hospitals appears to be reflected in their current multiples.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Two of the biggest culprits appear to be profit margins and price/earnings multiples.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026

Then you take away all the numbers that are multiples of 2.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

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Related Words

• different
• numerous
• various

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