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

Turek, 47, was born with spina bifida, going through multiple surgeries before representing the USA at wheelchair basketball at four Paralympic Games, twice triumphantly.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

With its price-to-forward-earnings multiple now back to its 2022 lows, bulls see a cheap stock and are expecting Netflix to find new levers to pull.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

A 60-foot lap pool includes a heated spa, and the area is perfectly primed for entertaining with multiple fire features, a built-in barbecue, and lots of space to lounge.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

Kolodin ignored multiple AFP requests for an interview, but during a debate in August, he rejected accusations that he is an "election denier."

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

While she remained in New York, he had expedition business in multiple East Coast cities.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

But for investors it means that they should focus less on whether a recession is imminent or how fast the economy is growing, and instead on profit margins and P/E multiples.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026

Consumer-staples stocks normally trade at lower, more defensive multiples because of steady growth and reliable dividends.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

Both Karman and Mercury Systems trade at a forward earnings multiple of about 40 times, not cheap but considerably lower than the high multiples they previously commanded.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

And tech darlings are no longer commanding the multiples that they once did.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 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

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Related Words

• different
• numerous
• various

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