multitude

American  

[muhl-ti-tood, -tyood] / ˈmʌl tɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

noun

1. a great number; host.

   a multitude of friends.

2. a great number of people gathered together; crowd; throng.

   Synonyms:

   mass

3. the state or character of being many; numerousness.

4. the multitude, the common people; the masses.

---

multitude British  

/ ˈmʌltɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. a large gathering of people

2. the common people

3. a large number

4. the state or quality of being numerous

---

Related Words

See crowd ¹.

Etymology

Origin of multitude

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English word from Latin word multitūdō. See multi-, -tude

Example Sentences

“What distinguishes Churchill, the consummate writer, in this book apart from all his other works is the multitude of distinct literary styles, tones and compositional structures,” Mr. Stiles concludes.

From The Wall Street Journal

While the hospitality industry is facing a multitude of challenges including taxes, young people opting for socialising away from the pub is clearly another issue for the sector to grapple with.

From BBC

Her and Tansy bustled by lamplight in the kitchen because there was a world of sausage and scrapple to be made, and breakfast, and a noon dinner for the multitude.

From Literature

A high-intensity fire every 200 or 300 years releases a multitude of seeds from the dying giants.

From Los Angeles Times

A multitude of factors are putting pressure on homeowners, many of whom — probably like your friend — are eager to get their foot on the property ladder.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• horde
• legion
• myriad
• slew
• throng