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

Etymology

Origin of multiple

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

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

One trader whose "heart sank" when she discovered she had lost money, said that despite spotting scams regularly, the multiple emails she exchanged were "so realistic" that she fell for one.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

It’s common for multiple news choppers to arrive at the scene of breaking news, beaming live images for newscasts and streaming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Even toddlers are enrolled in multiple extracurricular activities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

"We usually hear about telescopes working separately, but this confirmation was possible only by using multiple telescopes together," Bernardi said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

Normally, a simultaneous exhibition is given by one master who walks from board to board, competing against multiple players.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

“However, the complicated macro backdrop and higher rates will almost certainly cause multiples to continue to compress,” Jane Gibbons, equity strategist at Jefferies, wrote in a Wednesday note.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

“Premiums for performers in their 70s and 80s can run many multiples of what a younger act pays,” said Paul Bassman, an entertainment specialist at the insurance broker Higginbotham.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Furthermore, because earnings growth in the sector is so strong, it’s outpacing share-price appreciation, meaning that stocks are actually seeing smaller price-to-earnings multiples.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Investors are not willing to pay anywhere near the multiples they paid in the 1999 bubble.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

“They were putting on bets that were multiples of the capital they had,” said the young Deutsche Bank broker.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• different
• numerous
• various